Romanian parties work to avert early elections

ROMANIA:Romania's main ruling parties vowed to work together yesterday to avert early elections, after the smaller Conservative group quit the coalition and robbed the government of its parliamentary majority.

The Conservatives abandoned the alliance after persistent rows with the main Liberal and Democrat parties over policy, and amid an investigation into several privatisations that were overseen by a ministry run by a leading Conservative.

Without the support of the 19 Conservatives in the lower house of parliament, the coalition is left well short of a majority, but senior members of the Democrats and Liberals insisted they would continue to govern after Romania joins the EU next month. "There does not seem to be any interest from political parties in early elections," said the prime minister, Calin Tariceanu, the head of the Liberal party. "We should see how parliament will function from now on."

Mr Tariceanu has been under pressure from critics in his own party and from the president, Traian Basescu, who is close to the Democrats, and has said he favours early elections to clarify Romania's political landscape as it begins life in the EU.

But Emil Boc, an ally of Mr Basescu and leader of the Democrats, insisted that his party would not withdraw its support from the fractious Liberals. "The Democrat party will engage in ways to help this government continue and ensure political stability in Romania," Mr Boc said after meeting party officials.

Elections are scheduled for 2008, but many analysts believe the ruling coalition has only been held together by the prospect of EU entry and may crumble once Romania has entered the bloc.

"Early elections are slightly more likely now but there may be a lot of informal agreements," said Sorin Ionita of the Romanian Academic Society. "The budget is a big issue but nobody was counting on the Conservatives anyway."

Mr Tariceanu has played down the importance of the Conservatives' departure, and says he is confident of rallying enough support in parliament to pass important measures, including the 2007 budget, which has been under debate for two weeks.

Conservative leader Dan Voiculescu called his party's decision "a response to the dictatorial policies of the Democrat party and President Traian Basescu."

Mr Boc, however, accused him of trying to distract attention from the role of the Conservative-run economy ministry in several privatisations that are now under investigation.