| Document Name: | Constitution of Moldova |
| Orig Lang Code: | ro |
| Title Orig: | Constituția Republicii Moldova |
| System: | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Federalism: | Unitary |
| Chambers: | One |
| Branches: | Three (executive, legislature and judiciary) |
| Executive: | President Prime minister as head of government |
| Jurisdiction: | Moldova |
| Courts: | Supreme Court of Moldova, Constitutional Court |
| Electoral College: | No |
| Supersedes: | Constitution of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Wikisource: | Constitution of the Republic of Moldova |
The current Constitution was adopted on 29 July 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament. It came into force on 27 August 1994 and has since been amended 8 times.[1]
The Constitution established the Republic of Moldova as a sovereign state, independent and neutral; a state of law governed by a set of principles including the separation and cooperation of powers, political pluralism, human rights and freedoms, observance of International Law and International Treaties. It delineates the formation and function of the state's main institutions: Parliament, Cabinet, President and Judiciary.[2]
The draft text of the Moldavian ASSR Constitution was developed by the Codification department of the People's Commissariat for Justice of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and on 8 December 1924 was submitted for approval to the Commission of responsible workers from that department. In February 1925, the People's Commissariat for Justice of the Ukrainian SSR submitted the draft text to the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR which approved it and sent it to Moldova for consideration.On 23 April 1925, five months after the formation of the Moldavian ASSR, the first Moldavian Congress of Soviets unanimously approved the republic's first constitution – the fundamental law of the Moldavian ASSR.
The constitution was adopted on 6 January 1938 by the Seventh Extraordinary Congress of the Supreme Council of the Moldavian SSR. It was based on the principles of the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union. The achievements of the Moldovan people in economy and culture served as a trigger for the creation of the Constitution. All of these achievements had their legislative reflection the document.[3]
The 1938 Constitution consisted of 11 chapters and 114 articles. The first chapter was devoted to the social structure of the Moldovan autonomy, and the second to its internal structure. The third chapter of the Constitution dealt with the highest bodies of government, the fourth - with the republican governing bodies; the fifth - with local government bodies; the sixth - with the budget of the MASSR; the seventh - with the activities of the judiciary and the prosecutor's office. The eighth chapter established the basic rights and obligations of citizens. The ninth chapter regulated the rules concerning the electoral system. The tenth chapter established state symbols (coat of arms, flag) of the Moldavian ASSR. The final chapter delineated the procedure for changing the Constitution.
See main article: Constitution of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1941).
See main article: Constitution of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
See main article: Moldovan Constitution of 1994.
See also: 2010 Moldovan constitutional referendum.