President Traian Basescu: the referendum for the unicameral Parliament will be organized in the same time as Presidential elections on October 22, 2009

The Parliament disapproved the request to organize a referendum and considering that the Parliament’s opinion is consultative, I decided to sign the decree for the referendum, President Traian Basescu announced in a press conference. Basescu added that the Liberal’s initiative to change the electoral law and decrease the number of Parliamentarians can be done at the discretion of various moguls or influent businessmen.

Here are Basescu’s main declarations:

• The Parliament denied my request to organize a referendum in the same time with the Presidential elections

• Considering that the Parliamentary decision is consultative, I decided to sign the decree for the referendum

• Romanians are called to express their will regarding the following national interest problems: a unicameral Parliament and a decrease of the number of Parliament at maximum 300 people

• Citizens are called to answer these questions: do you agree with a shift to a unicameral Parliament? Do you agree with a decrease of the number of Parliamentarians at maximum 300 people

• The referendum will be organized at November 2009
• For five years I did not manage to convince political parties to revise the constitution

• Romanians will have to be convinced to say yes

• This is the only way I can impose a reform process of the Parliament