Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April
2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10
October 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next
to be held in 2009); 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; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet
received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president;
parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vasile
TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence
- 75 of 101
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and
electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic
Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party -
PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for
constitutional judicature)
Political parties and leaders:
Braghis Faction [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Christian Democratic People's
Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of
Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Democratic
Moldova Bloc (comprised of the AMN, Democratic Party, and PSL);
Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN
[Serafim URECHEANU]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW,
OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambasador Michael D. KIRBY 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:
same color scheme as Romania - 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 ox
head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow