19.4.2007 by admin.

Romanian lawmakers vote to suspend Basescu

19/04/2007

The president has said he will resign and force an early election, rather than waiting for a referendum on impeachment.

By Gelu Trandafir for Southeast European Times in Bucharest –19/04/07

The Romanian Parliament voted 322-108, with ten abstentions, to suspend Romanian President Traian Basescu on Thursday (April 19th). [Getty Images]

The Romanian Parliament on Thursday (April 19th) voted to suspend President Traian Basescu, despite an earlier constitutional court ruling that found he had not breached the constitution. In all, 322 lawmakers voted to suspend Basescu, while 108 lawmakers opposed the move. There were ten abstentions.

The procedure was launched in January by the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) and supported by the ultranationalists from Greater Romania Party and the Conservative Party. On Thursday, many lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Party-Hungarian Union coalition joined with the opposition. MPs from Basescu’s Democratic Party (DP) and former Prime Minister Theodor Stolojan’s Liberal Democratic Party backed the president.

PSD leader Mircea Geoana said Thursday’s vote is “a good and healthy decision for our democracy” and urged political leaders to be “refrained and sober”. He asked the president and his DP not to support street protests.

Basescu has said he would not wait one month for a referendum on impeachment, but instead would resign and call for early presidential elections. He said he wants to confront before the Romanian people “those who generated an abuse of the Constitution”.

If Basescu resigns, elections will have to be held within three months. During this period, either Senate Speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu or the speaker of the Deputies’ Chamber, Bogdan Oltean, will become temporary head of state.

In its quest to impeach Basescu, the opposition was able to take advantage of a protracted quarrel between the president and Prime Minister Calin Popescu Taricieanu. Two weeks ago, Tariceanu formed a new minority government, ousting the ministers affiliated with Basescu and relying on the PSD for parliamentary support.

Despite his suspension, Basescu remains the most popular politician in the country and his Democratic Party leads in the opinion polls. His approach to the presidency has been radically different from that of his predecessors, who kept a relatively low profile.

During his 2004 campaign, Basescu pledged to be a key player. Since assuming office, he has engaged in frequent criticism of the government, chaired more cabinet meetings than his predecessors, levelled charges of corruption, and sought the resignations of senior officials.

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19.4.2007 by admin.

Studie: Irak könnte doppelt so viel Öl haben als vermutet

London. DPA/baz. Der Irak könnte nach einer neuen Studie über fast doppelt so grosse erschliessbare Erdölreserven verfügen als bislang angenommen. Wie die “Financial Times” (Donnerstag) berichtete, gehen Experten der amerikanischen Energie-Consultingfirma IHS nach umfangreichen Untersuchungen davon aus, dass in den westlichen Wüstengebieten des Landes weitere rund 100 Milliarden Barrel (je 159 Liter) lagern.

Sollten die Angaben zutreffen, würde der Irak nach Saudi-Arabien über die zweitgrössten Ölreserven der Welt verfügen und damit den bislang zweitplatzierten Iran überholen. Das unterstreiche die Attraktivität des Irak für internationale Öl-Unternehmen für den Fall, dass der Konflikt in dem Land überwunden werden kann, schreibt die “Financial Times”. Anzeige