President Basescu: „Uninominal vote will decrease number of MPs by 30%”

Participating in the „Ziua si Evenimentul” (Day’s event) show at the public radio station, Romania president Traian Basescu declared that the participation in the referendum for adopting a uninominal vote system will lead to a turn of tables in the electoral system: Romanians will make the law for politicians, not the other way round.

The head of state mentioned that the uninominal majority in two scrutiny rounds suggested for the referendum implies the decrease of parliamentarians by 30%, down to 360, 120 senators and 240 deputies.

Asked whether he quit or not the idea of a single-chamber Parliament, Basescu said that this subject is closed until the political parties accept a Constitution revising. As a personal opinion, Basescu is in favor of a single-housed Parliament, showing that this is the European norm.

According to Basescu, the main advantage of the uninominal vote is that the elected officials will have to stay in touch with the electors. On the other hand, Basescu says, the existing political class doesn’t have the will to guarantee Romania’s progress.