The Moldovan Constitutional Court upheld the nomination of Ion Sturza to be the nation's next prime minister in a unanimous ruling on December 29.
A motion challenging the nomination had been filed by a group of legislators opposed to Sturza which argued that President Nicolae Timofti exceeded his authority by nominating Sturza, a West-leaning businessman, without consulting Parliament.
The court found that objection to be unfounded. The president must nominate a candidate who can muster a majority of votes in Parliament upon confirmation, but he need not obtain that approval ahead of time, the court said.
Sturza's nomination faces an uphill battle for approval in a vote scheduled for January 4. In an effort to drum up support among legislators, Sturza vowed on December 28 to fight the corruption that led to a major banking scandal last spring.
