Drastic decision in the Republic of Moldova
The Constitutional Court of Chisinau declared unconstitutional the Shor party led by the oligarch Ilan Shor, convicted for the role he played in the billion dollar theft
Corina Cristea, 20.06.2023, 13:50
Accused of acting in contradiction with the principles of the rule of law and endangering the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, being financed from outside and supported by the Russian secret services, the Shor party, from the small neighboring Republic of Moldova, was dissolved by a decision of the Constitutional Court. The magistrates ruled in this way following the Moldovan Government’s request for outlawing the political party founded and led by the oligarch Ilan Shor, accused by the West and Chisinau of trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova, while the USA and the European Union have imposed sanctions against him.
The arguments brought by the government representatives in favour of outlawing this party is the fact that members of the Shor Party are known to have bribed voters and protesters, the party has connections with suspect persons from the Kremlin and are believed to have repeatedly violated the legislation in terms of the financial activity of the party. The court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. The Court states in its ruling that the Moldovan Ministry of Justice will establish a dissolution commission.
The Shor Party currently has five members in the Chisinau Parliament, consisting of 101 deputies, who, according to the higher court, will be able to complete their mandates as individual members. It is a decision expected by society, precisely because the people of the Republic of Moldova value and want to live in a democratic and legal state, in which criminal organizations are prevented from seizing the state, the Moldovan pro-Western president has stated. According to Maia Sandu, the Shor Party, created from corruption and for corruption, represents a danger for the constitutional system and the security of the state.
In a reaction published on his Facebook page, full of invective against the government, Ilan Shor says that the Court’s decision is illegal, and the party will seek justice at the ECHR. At the same time, he has stated that together with his team he will find legal forms to continue his projects. Since 2022, the Shor Party has staged a wave of anti-government protests and pro-Russia demonstrations in the Republic of Moldova, financing, according to Chisinau, unrest in a period of political instability.
Recently, Ilan Shor has admitted his party’s involvement in the street protests. We recall that back in 2017, Ilan Shor was convicted for the role he played in the billion-dollar-theft from the Moldovan banks. The sentence was challenged at the court of appeal, the trial dragged for years, and two months ago, Ilan Shor, who had fled the country years before and settled in Israel, got a final sentence of 15 years in prison and seizure of assets worth 5 billion Moldovan lei. (MI)
