• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Romania President Faces Impeachment In Referendum

July 29, 2012
by RFE/RL

Romanians are voting in a controversial referendum on whether to impeach the country's center-right president, Traian Basescu.

The referendum comes after Romania's center-left government, led by Prime Minister Victor Ponta, moved to suspend Basescu on claims he exceeded his authority and meddled in government affairs.

Opinion polls show that some 65 percent of Romanians want to remove Basescu, who was elected to a second five-year term in 2009.

Between sweltering summertime temperatures and dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the crisis, it's not clear the referendum will receive the 50-percent turnout needed to be valid.

But Ioana, a voter outside a polling station in the capital, Bucharest, said she supported the move to oust Basescu, who has backed unpopular austerity measures and has faced frequent allegations of cronyism and corruption.

"I voted 'yes' for the sake of this country," she said.

​​If turnout is lower than 50 percent, the referendum will be declared invalid and Basescu will be reinstated. Late in the afternoon, the election bureau said turnout was just 26.9 percent.

A successful referendum would send the country into fresh presidential elections within the next three months.

That move could potentially delay parliamentary elections currently expected in November.

The squabble over Basescu has meant weeks of delay in political decision-making, sent the national currency plummeting, and raised doubts about the fate of Romania's 5-billion-euro aid deal from the International Monetary Fund.

It has also angered the European Union and the United States, who accused Ponta of undermining rule of law and intimidating judges in his drive to see Basescu removed from office.

Despite Basescu's unpopularity, the referendum has angered many Romanians, like voter Leopold, who says the political infighting is stealing attention and resources away from the more pressing economic issues facing the country.

"We are spending 100 million lei (23 million euros), instead of helping poor children and people. It wasn't necessary to have this referendum," he said. "Mr. Basescu should realize it and resign."

With reporting by AFP, the BBC, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/romania-president- impeachment-basescu/24659942.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.