The fate of Romania’s president hangs in the balance as the constitutional court considers whether his rivals who run the government can change the rules of a referendum which will decide whether he will be impeached.
The ruling Social Liberal Union (USL) of prime minister Victor Ponta suspended President Traian Basescu on Friday saying he had overstepped his powers, a move the court confirmed on Monday was in line with the constitution.
The constitutional court will today consider a law changing rules for a referendum to impeach the president, a plebiscite scheduled to take place on July 29th. The government wants to change how many votes are needed to impeach Mr Basescu, from a majority of the whole electorate to a majority of those who actually vote – which could determine the result.
The dispute between Mr Ponta’s leftist alliance and his rightwing rival Mr Basescu has raised international concerns about respect for the law and the constitution in the European Union’s second-poorest country, which has slipped back into recession. – (Reuters)