Moldova's president appoints new Prime Minister amid political turmoil

(Vatican Radio)  The president of the former Soviet republic of Moldova has nominated liberal lawmaker Valeriu Strelet as the country's next prime minister amid political turmoil. Moldova's previous prime minister resigned and a World Bank economist failed to secure an agreement from all parties in the pro-European alliance.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti said he asked Strelet of the Liberal-Democratic Party to lead a government that he hopes will bring Moldova closer to European Union membership. He told reporters that he "signed a decree" nominating Strelet as the country's next prime minister.

He said he had given the 45-year-old Strelet 15 days to form a government and present a plan of action. The president wants the government to carry out reforms and fight corruption.

Strelet is the co-founder and deputy chairman of the Liberal-Democratic Party and has head its parliamentary faction since September 2014.

He has business experience as well: Strelet is owner of the biggest fertilizer distribution companies in Moldova, a country of 4 million people, located between Romania and Ukraine.

Parliament is already expected to consider Strelet's cabinet on July 31. His candidacy was agreed by all parties of the ruling Alliance for European Integration.

Difficult task

Yet it won't be easy for Strelet to introduce reforms demanded by the president and the EU. Another candidate for prime minister Maia Sandu, an ex-World Bank economist, failed to receive backing of two coalition parties.

She wanted to introduce reforms such as changing the governor of the central bank and the general prosecutor. That would allow a thorough inquiry into as much as $1.5 billion which disappeared from three Moldovan banks in November 2014, before elections.

The missing cash, worth at least an eighth of Moldova's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has caused widespread anger in the former-Soviet country which is one of Europe’s poorest.

A still unpublished parliament reports claims at least some of that money, was transferred to Russian banks. It remains unclear when and if newly nominated Prime Minister Strelet will be allowed to push for an  investigation into the scandal.

Moldova's former prime minister, Chiril Gaburici, also tried. But he had to resign last month after a sudden probe into the authenticity of his high school diploma and university degree.