confirmed in the Treaty of Paris (1920). Leadership The leadership of the Moldavian Republic was composed of Ion Inculeț, the president of the Sfatul Țării and President of the Republic; and Pantelimon Erhan, the President of the Council of Directors General. The new leadership and Council was put in place after the country was declared independence by Daniel Ciugureanu, as President of the Council of Ministers. The Sfatul Țării was initially composed of 120 elected members, although member numbers were later increased to 135 and then 150. For example, on 9 April, there were 138 legislators, of which 125 took part in the vote, and 13 were absent. On , the Sfatul Țării elected the government of the Moldavian Democratic Republic - the Council of Directors General, with nine members, seven Moldavians, one Ukrainian, and one Jew: Pantelimon Erhan, President of the council, and Director General for Agriculture. Vladimir Cristi, Director General for Internal Affairs. Ștefan Ciobanu, Director General for Education. Teofil Ioncu, Director General for Finance. Nicolae N. Codreanu, Director General for Railways. Major Teodor Cojocaru, Director General for Armed Forces. Mihail Savenco, Director General for Justice. E. Grinfeld, Director General for Industry and Trade. Ion Pelivan, Director General for Foreign Affairs. In its first decree, the Council set forward the aim to "introduce order in all the aspects of life of the country, to eliminate anarchy and disaster, to organize all the aspects of state administration". An Executive Clerk Office (Cancelarie) of the Council of Directors General was set up, and all state, public and private institutions were required to communicate through the Executive Clerk Office to the corresponding Director General for all questions regarding the government of the country. All acts in the domain of public administration made without the previous consent of the respective Directors-General were declared legally void, while the director freed from responsibility for such acts. Gallery See also Union of Bessarabia with Romania Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina Russian Revolution of 1917 Odessa Soviet Republic Iona Yakir Former countries in Europe after 1815 References History of Bessarabia 1917 in Russia Aftermath of World War I in Russia and in the Soviet Union Post–Russian Empire states Moldavian Democratic Republic, 1917 States and territories established in 1917 States and territories disestablished in 1918