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| THE WEEK IN REVIEW (16-22.04.2007) |
| (2007-04-20) |
| Last updated: 2007-04-20 16:57 EET |
In the line up:
Romania’s Parliament has suspended President Traian Basescu
Romanian born professor Liviu Librescu, who died during the recent shooting in America, is posthumously honoured
A UN report points a finger of suspicion at Romanian soldiers in the shooting of two ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
The football world is geared up for the Romanian Cup final
Accused by the opposition of having repeatedly violated the Constitution, Romania’s President, Traian Basescu, has been suspended by Parliament. The legislature voted by a large majority for the suspension of the head of state, in spite of the consultative opinion of the Constitutional Court. Traian Basescu didn’t resign 5 minutes after his suspension, as he had previously announced, and chose to address his thousands of supporters who massed in the centre of Bucharest. He spoke about going back to the polls, recalling that “force of the people is shown in elections”. Traian Basescu:
”I assure you I will not abandon the Romanian people, be sure that I’ve never violated the Constitution during my term in office. I have exerted pressure for the government and the judiciary to do their jobs, I have exerted pressure because in my capacity as Romania’s President I have a duty to represent the interests of those who elected me”.
The reactions of most parliamentary party leaders have been critical of Basescu, as were the speeches given within parliament. Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu.
”As a politician, I interpret Basescu’s resignation as a recognition of his own errors, an involuntary recognition of the fact that he no longer has the moral right to run for a new mandate.”
In turn Mircea Geoana, the president of the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, has said:
”I think a referendum should be held, to ask Romanian citizens what kind of republic they want to have, what kind of presidential mandate, what role the Prime Minister and the President should play in the relation with Parliament.”
The President of the Greater Romania Party, Corneliu Vadim Tudor, has accused Traian Basescu of choosing to sever ties with the political parties and the state institutions instead of working together with them. Representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the Liberals’ partners in the new cabinet, say the newly created situation is difficult. Marko Bela, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania:
“If we look at the president as the sole responsible for this whole situation and imagine the issue has been solved, than we have achieved nothing.”
The Democratic Party, which the president previously headed, claims the suspension was based on political, rather then constitutional arguments. Emil Boc, the president of the Democratic Party:
”This is a dark day for democracy in Romania. This day will go down in Romania’s history as the day when a political coalition based on business interests <> the Constitution and the will of the Romanian people.”
The turmoil in Romania has also produced effects at international level, with EU officials expected to closely monitor the situation in Bucharest. At the same time, economic analysts are anticipating the possible depreciation of the Romanian national currency, the leu, slower-paced reforms, as administrative documents might be blocked, and a lower volume of investments.
One of the 32 people who died in the massacre that took place at Virginia Tech University in the US is Romanian born American professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor. Liviu Librescu was posthumously awarded by president Traian Basescu the Star of Romania Order in rank of the Grand Cross for his entire scientific and academic activity and his heroism during the tragic events. US president George W Bush paid homage to professor Librescu as well, and emphasised his courage when he blocked a classroom door with his body, thus preventing the South-Korean gunman from entering the room and saving the lives of several students.
According to a UN report, Romanian police troops, part of the UN mission in Kosovo are responsible for the death of two ethnic Albanians in violent street protests in February. The document, made public after an investigation, reads that there is a rational suspicion that the firing of the three shots can be considered a crime under the law in Kosovo. In Bucharest, Foreign Ministry officials offered their cooperation to solve the case, while an Interior Ministry release reads that the UN report lacks evidence for reasonable suspicion of the personal criminal accountability of any of the members of the Romanian military. At the end of March, Romania pulled out its 75 gendarme troops in Kosovo despite the UN’s request that 11 of them, who participated in the events in Kosovo, should remain at the investigators’ disposal.
The Romanian Football Cup final will see a game between Rapid Bucharest and Politehnica Timisoara. Rapid qualified for the final after they beat Pandurii Targu Jiu 2-nil on Thursday, while Poli defeated Steaua Bucharest 1-0. In the 2007-2008 season, Romania will be represented in European competitions by 4 teams, two in the Champions League and two in the UEFA Cup, with the winner of the Romanian Football Cup automatically entering the latter competition.
(Corina Cristea)
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