Romania Liberals refuse to quit after referendum

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

BUCHAREST, May 21 (Reuters) Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu's Liberal Party rejected calls to quit government today after voters overwhelmingly backed his opponent President Traian Basescu in Saturday's impeachment referendum.

Faced with exit polls showing that even Liberal supporters voted against impeaching Basescu, some party leaders had suggested the grouping had lost the mandate to govern and called a crisis meeting to decide whether to go into opposition.

''We go forward, we stay in power,'' Tariceanu told reporters after a meeting of party seniors. ''Our vote to continue was clear and overwhelming. In 2004 the Liberals took responsibility to govern.'' Going into opposition would have implied Tariceanu's resignation and possible early elections. But other Liberal (PNL) figures signalled the party, which rules as a minority government, would try to cling to power.

Tariceanu said on Saturday he was ready to cooperate with Basescu, following months of feuding between the two politicians which had contributed to stalling the country's reform efforts.

But though Basescu's hand is now strengthened, analysts say corruption and malpractice are so entrenched in Romania's establishment that Basescu may have to wait for general elections in 2008 to push through sweeping reforms.

The European Commission urged Romanian politicians to bury the hatchet and forge ahead with much-delayed reforms.

LEFTIST SUPPORT The conflict came to a head last month when the Liberals, and their Social Democrat (PSD) allies from the opposition, suspended Basescu and called the referendum, accusing the president of exceeding his authority and using secret services to spy on politicians.

No evidence of that has emerged, and many Romanians saw the charges as a smear campaign against the charismatic ex-sea captain and former mayor of Bucharest.

Surveys show young urban voters as well as poor country people see him a champion of the struggle against corruption whose plans to modernise Romania are being blocked by often corrupt political and business elites.

Some 74 per cent voted against his impeachment, official results showed, meaning Basescu will be able to move back into his presidential palace in Bucharest later this week.

Basescu called on the political parties which opposed him to back his agenda of more judicial reform and electoral law changes which would make deputies more accountable to their constituencies.

Analysts say Tariceanu and the PSD, which have formed a loose coalition in parliament, will have to accept some of Basescu's plans while trying to avert early polls.

''Even if the PNL are in a critical situation right now, they will not pull out from the government because this will trigger early elections,'' said Mircea Kivu, former head of the IMAS polling institute.

''Early elections are not recommended after such a heavy blow,'' he told Reuters.

The next elections are due in late 2008 and some analysts say Romania may remain politically deadlocked until then.

Reuters SKB DB1837

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