Romania’s constitutional court has given President Traian Basescu a fighting chance of beating a referendum aimed at ousting him, ruling yesterday that at least half the electorate must turn out for the vote to be valid. The ruling Social Liberal Union (USL) said it deemed a decree passed last week, stating there is no turnout threshold, to be still valid, presaging a further constitutional battle and likely international condemnation.
However, in a contradictory move later, prime minister and USL leader Victor Ponta said he would ask parliament to meet to reconcile the court’s ruling and the decree, and that until then, the turnout requirement would remain in question.
The attempt by Mr Ponta’s USL to unseat Mr Basescu has raised international concerns over rule of law in the EU’s second-poorest country. Parliament last week approved a USL measure to suspend Mr Basescu, saying he had overstepped his powers. An impeachment referendum is to be held on July 29th. The constitutional court had been asked to rule on the legitimacy of a new law that would have made it easier to vote Mr Basescu out. – (Reuters)