The way of organizing and functioning of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova will be regulated by the Code of Rules and Procedures.

Parliament examined today the draft document and voted it in the first reading. 

The initiative belongs to a group of deputies and also provides for legal relations between Parliament and other authorities, as well as the statute of the Member of the Parliament and of the parliamentary official. The draft stipulates that it will enter into force on the date of the legal establishment of the new parliamentary term.

In the presentation of the project, Deputy Sergiu Sirbu mentioned that there are express provisions regarding the location of Parliament's seat, cases of temporary change of the Parliament's location, place of plenary sessions, working language in Parliament, how to use state symbols. Also, a new element is the express establishment of the "Parliament Day" - 23 May. 

News is also provided for the procedure of establishing Parliament, organizing factions and parliamentary groups, setting up a parliamentary majority, opposition, etc. An oath is made by deputies at the start of the parliamentary term.

The legislative program and the Parliament's working session are also regulated, the quorum, the status of the President of the Parliament, the legislative initiative, the admissibility of the draft normative act, the emergency procedure and the priority procedure, the amendments, the approval of the draft normative acts, their date etc.

The draft also provides for regulations on the parliamentary procedure to initiate the declaration of the state of emergency, siege or war. Special chapters refer to Parliament's relations with the Government, public authorities in the field of justice, cooperation between Parliament and civil society, parliamentary scrutiny, parliamentary hearings, international relations of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova etc.

According to the authors, the drafting of the Code of Rules and Procedures is generated by almost 25 years of parliamentary experience and is called upon to strengthen the organization and functioning of Parliament. 

The draft Code of Rules and Procedures is to be voted, in final reading, by Parliament's plenary.