Romanian President Traian Basescu wins at referendum by landslide margin (May 19, 2007)

May 20, 2007 (Romania Report & sources)

74.3 percent of Romanian voters have cast their ballot in favour of President Traian Basescu’s return to office in the Saturday referendum. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has congratulated Romanian President. National Liberal leader asks his party to give up Govt. because failing to remove Basescu from office.


74.3 percent of Romanian voters have cast their ballot in favour of President Traian Basescu’s return to office in the Saturday referendum that asked them whether they agreed with him being removed from office, partial results show. During a victory rally last night President Basescu promised he will meet his supporters at least once every three months.

In the 2004 presidential elections Traian Basescu won with 51%, meaning some 5.2 million votes. According to partial data, at the 19 May impeachment referendum Basescu gained at least some 800,000 new supporters.

With nearly all votes counted, the results show that the counties of Timis, Sibiu and Covasna had the most votes in favour of Basescu, with 88%, 85% and 84% respectively. The smallest percentage in favour of Basescu was reported in the county of Botosani - 59.81%.

"I publicly call the Parliament to come and cooperate to give credit to the public vote of Romanians today", Traian Basescu said shortly after the estimated results were announced.

Basescu was suspended with a large majority of parliamentary votes on April 19, on grounds allegedly breaching the Constitution. The Constitutional Court had previously ruled that the charges were inconsistent, but the Parliament eventually triggered the impeachment referendum.



Victorious Basescu to promote agora-style ‘direct democracy’

Romania’s President Traian Basescu told the crowd in Bucharest University Square on Saturday night that he would meet his supporters “at least once every three months”. He said he is ready to periodically meet Romanians in the University Sq. in order to report on the progress of reform and fight against political abuse.

He said the Saturday vote showed that the “anti-presidential parties” – i.e. the Social Democrats, the National Liberals, etc – dramatically lost popular support. He said referendum results showed many of those parties’ usual voters giving their votes to him, instead supporting their traditional favorites.

Mr. Basescu also said he took the polls outcome – with some 75% of the Romanians backing him – proves that Romanians support his political projects.


Barroso congratulates Romanian president on vote win

Brussels - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has congratulated Romanian President Traian Basescu after voters in a referendum Saturday overwhelmingly opted to keep him in office. "I hope that this outcome will contribute to allow Romania, as a full member of the European Union, to move forward with the reforms that are needed, especially in the areas of judicial reform and the fight against corruption," Barroso said in a statement released by his office in Brussels on Sunday.

"Romania needs a stable political and legal framework with all political actors working together to achieve the growth and social development of Romania," the statement continued.

"The Commission will continue to support the Romanian institutions in their efforts to deliver on the commitments that the country has made when joining the European Union".


National Liberal leader calls PM Tariceanu to resign

Ludovic Orban (Transports Minister and Bucharest’s Liberal leader) asked his party to withdraw power and join the opposition. To date, PM Tariceanu (Liberal) runs a Cabinet that enjoys at most 20 percent of parliamentary support but it is backed by the Social Democrats.

Mr. Orban called his fellow party leaders to examine failure of their anti-Basescu campaign and to agree on giving up executive power – i.e. the Government – as soon as possible.

At the latest opinion poll likely voters credited the National Liberals with at most 9 percent, as the party campaigned for removing President Basescu from office.



Romania Report & sources