Right of the People to Impeach President in a Referendum: Romanians vote on Impeachment of President

The people of Romania are voting in a referendum on whether to impeach centre-right President Traian Basescu.

Mr Basescu has already been suspended by parliament in a series of moves that have caused alarm among Romania's EU partners. The centre-left government accuses Mr Basescu of exceeding his authority and of meddling in government affairs. Mr Basescu denies the accusations and has urged a boycott of Sunday's referendum. Under Romanian law, more than half the electorate

will have to vote to make the result valid.

BBC Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe says the referendum is one of the fiercest political clashes in Romania since the return of democracy in 1990. The result is hard to predict but will have long-term repercussions for Romania's political and economic stability, he says.

The row has paralysed political decision-making in Romania at a time when it is finalising agreements on an IMF-backed aid package. Mr Basescu's popularity has slumped since he backed tough austerity measures demanded by Romania's international lenders.

EU concern:

According to the latest polls, about 65% of the electorate wants to remove Mr Basescu. However, analysts say the government will struggle to achieve the required turnout.

Mr Basescu had initially urged Romanians to vote "no" to what he called "a coup", but later asked his supporters to boycott the vote altogether, a stance also adopted by the opposition Liberal Democrats. If he is impeached, a presidential election must be held within three months.

Earlier this month, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy voiced "deep concerns" about the political crisis in Romania "with regard to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary".

Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, but Brussels has put both countries under special monitoring because of concerns about judicial independence, corruption and political influence in state institutions.

Source: BBC News Europe (29 July 2012):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19034173