Administrative divisions:
32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities
(municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala
autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
: counties: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir,
Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari,
Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova,
Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti,
Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
: municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
: territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului
: autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
Independence:
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution:
new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet
constitution of 1979
Legal system:
based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of
legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is
unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts
many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) documents
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term;
election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note -
presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July
2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's
failure to choose a new president in December 2000 led to early
parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated
by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - 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; prime minister designated 15 April 2001,
cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary
votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CRISTEA 3;
Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of
confidence - 75 of 101
cabinet: selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April
2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since 29 January
2002)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and
electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 50.1%, Braghis
Alliance (now Our Moldova Alliance) 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties
28.3%; seats by party - PCRM 71, Braghis Alliance (now Our Moldova
Alliance) 19, PPCD 11
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for
constitutional judicature)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Modova Bloc [Serafim URECHEANU] includes: Democratic
Party [Dumitru DIACOV], Our Moldova Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS,
Serafim URECHEANU], Social Liberal Party [Oleg SEREBRIAN]; Communist
Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first
chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]