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| - The Constitutional Court of the ex-Soviet republic of Moldova on Monday suspended a bill aimed at reducing presidential powers, which was passed by parliament last week despite opposition protests. Moldovan voters last month elected pro-European Maia Sandu as the country's next president, earning her a surprise victory over pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon. Last Thursday, Moldovan lawmakers passed a bill that transferred control of the country's intelligence agency from the president to parliament, an initiative that was introduced by the Party of Socialists of outgoing president Dodon. Sandu called on her supporters to rally against the measure which was seen as an attempt to reduce her powers as president and grant more influence to the parliament that is controlled by Dodon. "Today... the Consitutional Court ordered the suspension of the law adopted on December 3, 2020," the court said in a statement Monday. More than 5,000 people rallied against the initiative in front of parliament in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on the day the bill was adopted. Sandu's Action and Solidary party then appealed to the Constitutional Court to challenge the law. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Chisinau on Sunday to demand the government's resignation and early parliamentary elections. During Dodon's four years in power, he received strong backing from Moscow and supported closer ties with Russia. Sandu promised during her campaign to battle corruption in the former Soviet country of 3.5 million people, which is one of the poorest in Europe. Wedged between Ukraine and NATO member Romania, with which it shares a common language, Moldova has long been divided over closer ties with the European Union or keeping traditional ties with Moscow. bur-acl/pvh
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