 Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form:Moldova local long form:Republica Moldova local short form:Moldova former:Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name:Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)note:pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyev) geographic coordinates:47 00 N, 28 51 E time difference:UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time:+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
Independence:
27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution:
previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; amended 2003 (2011)
Legal system:
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:President Nicolae TIMOFTI (since 23 March 2012)head of government:Prime Minister Iurie LEANCA (since 25 April 2013; acting until 30 May 2013, sworn in on 31 May 2013) cabinet:Cabinet selected by president with approval of Parliament elections:president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2016); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; the prime minister and Cabinet received a vote of confidence on 30 May 2013 election results:Nicolae TIMOFTI elected president; parliamentary votes - 62 of 101 votes Iurie LEANCA designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 58 of 101
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected on an at-large basis by popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections:last held on 28 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2014); note - this was the third parliamentary election in less than two years; the earlier parliaments (elected 5 April 2009 and 29 July 2009) were dissolved after they could not elect a presidential candidate with the necessary three-fifths majority election results:percent of vote by party - PCRM 39.3%, PLDM 29.4%, PD 12.7%, PL 10%, other 8.6%; seats by party - PCRM 42, PLDM 32, PD 15, PL 12; note - in November of 2011, 3 legislators defected from the Communist Party (PCRM) and voted with the PLDM, PD, and PL governing coalition - termed the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) - to reach a 62-seat majority sufficient to elect a new president; the 3 former PCRM legislators are now aligned with the Party of Socialists, and in 2012 an additional 5 legislators defected from the PCRM; 1 PLDM legislator also defected and is independent
| | Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court of Justice (consists of a chief judges, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges)note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government; the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government. judge selection and term of office:Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by Parliament upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the Moldovan president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term; other judges appointed for 6-year terms subordinate courts:Courts of Appeal; Court of Business Audit; municipal courts
Political parties and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Igor MUNTEANU (since 7 September 2010)chancery:2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:[1] (202) 667-1130 FAX:[1] (202) 667-2624
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador William H. MOSER (since 6 September 2011)embassy:103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address:use embassy street address telephone:[373] (22) 40-8300 FAX:[373] (22) 23-3044
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; based on the color scheme of the flag of Romania - with which Moldova shares a history and culture - but Moldova's blue band is lighter; the reverse of the flag does not display any coat of arms
National symbol(s):
aurochs (a type of wild cattle)
National anthem:
name:'Limba noastra' (Our Language)
lyrics/music:Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA note:adopted 1994 |