Romanian opposition decides to launch procedure to suspend President Traian Basescu

Romania’s opposition Social-Liberal Union, formed of Social Democrats (PSD) and Liberals (PNL), decided on Monday to launch a procedure to suspend President Traian Basescu. While leaders of the USL Union said they hoped to have the support of the Romanian people, PM Emil Boc had described a possible such move as demagogic and irresponsible. USL leaders said the official suspension request would be finished most probably within a week.

„I hope to have the support of the majority of the Romanian people”, Liberal leader Crin Antonescu said, adding that they were „trying to exempt the largest part of the population of another year of suffering”.

The call to suspend the president will be written by an commission formed by the USL while a public debate would be launched on the issue.

A final decision to submit the call will belong to the leaders of parliamentary groups of the parties forming the Social Liberal Union.

USL leaders had announced their intention to discuss the launch of the presidential suspension procedure on November 16. They made the announcement following President Basescu’s statements on public radio which they described them as an „explicit refusal to apply the law which provides for an annual increase in pensions”. Basescu said on November 16 that no matter the result of a Opposition notification to the Constitutional Court against a draft bill aiming to freeze salaries and pensions in 2012, „there is no money” for a salary/pension increase.

PM Emil Boc said last Wednesday that a USL initiative to suspend the president following his statements in this regard would be demagogic and irresponsible.