Romanian opposition parties rallied on Wednesday for a vote to
impeach President Traian Basescu, who threatened in return to
resign if impeached.
Senate Chairman Nicolae Vacaroiu said the Senate and the Chamber
of Deputies would open a joint sitting on today to vote on the
impeachment proposal initiated by the Social-Democrats in
opposition.
In response, Basescu said in a statement that the Constitutional
Court's advice found no violation of the constitution with respect
to the 19 charges cited in the impeachment proposal.
He stressed that his possible impeachment may bring foreign
investments to a standstill and may lead to an unfavorable report
from the European Commission.
"I caution the political party leaders to ponder over the
effects of an abusive impeachment," he said.
If the impeachment was passed by parliament, a referendum was to
be organized within a maximum of 30 days for Romania's population
to decide whether to keep the head of state in office.
Basescu has threatened to resign if his impeachment was
approved.
Under Romania's Constitution, in case the head of state resigns,
the government must organize a poll for early election of a new
president within three months. During this period, the Senate
Chairman or the Chamber of Deputies Speaker in that order must
fulfill the duties of a caretaker president.
As for the vote today , not all parliamentary parties have
adopted a clear position.
The ruling National Liberal Party has decided to tell their
parliamentarians to vote as their conscience tells them, party
leader and Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said.
Leader of the ruling Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Marko Bela echoed the prime minister as saying that he would make
no recommendations to the members of his formation and they would
vote according to their own conscience.
The Social Democratic Party remained firm on dismissing the
president. Party leader Mircea Geoana said "Traian Basescu tries in
vain to avoid dismissal through a resignation."
The opposition Conservative Party said it would vote in favor of
Basescu's impeachment. Leader Dan Voiculescu said the
parliamentarians in his party would cast such a vote in
unanimity.
Parliamentarians from the Greater Romania Party in opposition
said they would vote in unanimity in favor of Basescu's
impeachment. "More than certain on Thursday we will see a crushing
vote in favor of impeachment," said party leader Vadim Tudor.
The pro-presidential Democratic Party would unequivocally vote
against impeachment, according to party leader Emil Boc.
The parliamentarians of the Liberal Democrat Party, another
pro-presidential party, decided to stage a walkout at the moment of
the vote to protest against the impeachment proposal.
The idea of impeachment emerged earlier this year amid a
political crisis triggered by accusations traded by the president
and the prime minister.
The Social-Democrats accused the president of repeatedly
violating the constitution, which the president denied.
On Feb. 28, the parliament decided to set up a committee to
inquire into the alleged misdeeds of the president, and on March
21, the committee published a report concluding that Basescu had
breached the Constitution.
Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court ruled that the
president had not seriously breached the Constitution as to justify
his dismissal.
However, the court, with only a consultative role in the matter,
left the parliament to make the final decision.
(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2007)
