The Transnistrian constitutional court arrived at a conclusion that the
recent decision by the Transnistrian supreme soviet [parliament] to
establish a Voters’ Mandate Fund was in contravention with the region’s
constitution.
The court wrote in its resolution that the laws
and resolutions, passed by the supreme soviet to create such fund, are
at odds with the constitution, so they shall be cancelled. The court’s
judgment is final and without appeal.
At voting for the fund
creation, the parliamentarians claimed the fund means would help
resolve many acute problems with an account of voters’ opinions. So,
the supreme soviet approved the formation of such fund by deducting
0.5% of the regional budget revenues, with an estimate of 5.18 million
rubles (US$617 thousand) for year 2008.
However, the idea
was rejected by Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov, who refused to put
his signature under article 33 on fond establishment in the law on the
2008 regional budget, and challenged the parliament’s decision with the
constitutional court.
Smirnov stated the fund will be
serving the interests of a narrow group of voters, but will be financed
with all taxpayers’ money, which, in his belief, is but bribing of a
part of voters at the state’s expense.
All in all, the
president vetoed 20 articles in the 2008 budget law, consisting of
about a hundred articles. Decisions on them are to be taken by court.








