Bucharest Court of Appeals asks President Iohannis and Defence Minister Les to reach an agreement on the appointment of the Army Chief of Staff

President Klaus Iohannis and Defence Minister Gabriel Les have to examine by February 26 if they can reach an agreement on the appointment of the Army Chief of Staff. General Nicolae Ciuca is summoned at the same time to Bucharest Court of Appeals.

Judge Silviu Gabriel Barbu questioned on Tuesday the possibility that President Klaus Iohannis and Defence Minister Gabriel Les could come to an agreement based on an article in the administrative contentious Law. This is the lawsuit in which the Ministry of National Defence requests the annulment of the decree by which Klaus Iohannis extended the appointment of Chief of Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca.

The effects of this decree were suspended until the final settlement of the trial, by a decision given by the judge Vasile Bicu at the Bucharest Court of Appeals.

“Given the cause of the case and the higher public interest, the court asks the parties to examine the possibility of resolving the dispute following an agreement, so that you have the subject of reflection by the next term,” Judge Silviu Gabriel Barbu has said.

On January 31, the Bucharest Court of Appeals admitted the referral filed by the Defence Ministry to suspend the decree signed by President Klaus Iohannis extending the term of the Chief of Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca (photo).

The ruling reads that the request is unfounded. “The court rejects the exception of inadmissibility on the suspension request. (…) The court rules the suspension of Decree no.1131/2018 until the ruling of substance is issued. The appeal may be submitted in 5 days to the Bucharest Court of Appeals.”

Later in the day, the Defence Ministry informed that General-Lieutenant Laurian Anastasof will take over the position of interim deputy Chief of Staff as of February 1, 2019.