Traian Basescu has to be suspended from office for having systematically violated the principle of political non-affiliation of the president for publicly assuming the role of de facto president of Elena Udrea’s party. This is the first reason mentioned in the request to suspend Traian Basescu. There are other examples of situations when Basescu violated the constitution. The request was made by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu and the suspension could be passed in two weeks.
Update 15.55 - Kelemen: UDMR does not support Băsescu’s suspension
UDMR president, Kelemen Hunor, announced Monday that the Hungarians Union does not agree with the suspension of president Traian Băsescu.
"It is a completely useless approach at the moment and we should not be dealing with that.. The ones doing that are looking behind and not towards the future", stated Monday Kelemen Hunor.
Therefore UDMR will not support a new suspension of Traian Băsescu, and this will not affect the government coalition, Kelemen argues.
Kelemen Hunor says that Băsescu belongs in the past, anyway, and the political class should look forward.
Update 15.20 - Călin Popescu Tăriceanu said that he will take up the position of interim
president in the period Traian Basescu will be suspended, although he is the second man in the state
The head of Senate says that he will assign this responsibility to the Chamber of Deputies chairman, Valeriu Zgonea, because he is running for Presidency.
At the first suspension of Traian Băsescu, Nicolae Văcăroiu acted as interim president , while for his second suspension, Crin Antonescu was acting president.
Update 14.00 – What Băsescu stands to lose if he is dismissed
The persons who held the head of state position in the Romanian benefit throughout their lifetime of the following rights:
a) free use of a protocol house intended as residence, which includes a space intended for cabinet work, including a positions of adviser and a secretary;
b) a monthly pay of up to 75% from the salary of the acting President of Romania;
c) security and protection, as well as free use of a car, with the Protection and Guard Service guarding him under the regulations in force.
(3) The person whose mandate as head of state ended as a consequence of committing a crime for which he received a final conviction or after being dismissed from office by the referendum..
Source: Law 406/2001
Update 13.00 – The contents of the request filed by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu for the president’s suspension
Traian Basescu is accused by Tariceanu in the suspension request that the president took on the role to act as the actual President of the Popular Movement Party. Moreover, he assumed the role of active supporter of the PMP candidates in the elections for the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency
Basescu thus violated two articles of the constitution. Article 80 provides that the President shall ensure compliance with the Constitution and the proper functioning of public authorities and act as a mediator between the state powers and between the state and society.
Under Article 84, during the term, the president cannot be a member of a party and cannot perform any other public or private office.
As an aggravating circumstance, in the support granted to Elena Udrea’s party, the president used his position, and the logistics of Cotroceni. The president has been accused in the past of by the Romanian Constitutional Court that he was acted conflictingly and failed to exercise with maximum efficiency office of mediator between power and between the state and society.
A third serious offense reported by Tariceanu is Basescu's intervention with the European Commission President Jean Claude Junker in the issue of the Romanian Commissioner in the European Commission. Neither the Constitution nor any other law confers on the President the task of appointing a Commissioner. The Government is the only public authority empowered to do so. The President was not mandated by the government to negotiate in Brussels the portfolio incumbent to Romania.
As a result, this action of Basescu does not meet the provisions of the Decision of the Constitutional Court of 2005 on the freedom of expression of political views, it is a new case of serious violation of the Constitution, by obviously abusing the office held, shown in the request for suspension.
Signatories of the letter accuse the president of promoting uncivilized institutional relationships with participants in the public life, which violates another opinion of the RCC condemning the offenses and the insults against the public authorities. Even if they can be characterized as political opinions, these are not likely to contribute to the consolidation of constitutional order, quite to the contrary.
Traian Basescu has violated these rules knowingly and repeatedly.
The suspension letter states that the president perseverance in violating the Basic Law, the repetition of abusive acts which seriously affects the democratic functioning of the rule of law, demonstrate an irremediable attitude on his part.
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BREACH OF ART. 80 OF THE CONSTITUTION
The president specifically got involved in political actions of public notoriety that turned him into the de facto leader of the People's Movement Foundation, foundation with a political activity and the Peoples Movement Party.
BREACH OF ART. 84 OF THE CONSTITUTION
The Romanian President said he was the initiator of the People's Movement Foundation, a foundation focusing on political activity which led to the establishment of the PMP.
VIOLATION OF the LAW AND 373/2013 of the RCC DECISION No. 53/2005
The direct and institutional intervention of Mr. Traian Basescu with the European Commission President Jean Claude Junker on the appointment of the Romanian Commissioner in the European Commission.
BREACH OF the OPINION 1/2007 RCC
The Romanian President Traian Basescu promoted uncivilized forms of institutional relationships with participants in the public life.
Source: The request to suspend the President
Update 12.15 – Klaus Iohannis and Vasile Blaga argue that the proposal to suspend Basescu is a "smoke" meant to distract voters. An official position of the ACL will be announced after today's meeting.
Update 12.13 – Prime Minister Victor Ponta could discuss with lawmakers about the suspension of Traian Basescu. Ponta is expected before Parliament.
He alreadu warned how important it is that Traian Băsescu should not get a third manadate as president via his supporters Iohannis or Udrea.
Update 12.05 – The suspension calendar
The first meeting to discuss the topic is now being held.
The Senate president gathered the leaders of the parliamentary groups and presents the proposed schedule: Tariceanu wants the suspension to be voted on in two weeks in plenary meeting, ie on September 23, and Romanians should vote in the dismissal referendum on November 2, the day of the presidential elections.
The Senate president began collecting signatures to trigger proceedings in Parliament.
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Initial news 11.50
Călin Popescu Tăriceanu has already submitted request for the suspension of Traian Băsescu, the singatures collections starts today.
At 12, there will be a formal meeting to impeach Basescu.
The Senate President is confident that, if Parliament decides to suspend the President , the population would vote for his dismissal.
Tăriceanu called for the impeachment of President Basescu for two violations of the Constitution: involvement in the campaign of a party and betraying the country's interests.