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18. 04. 12. - 15:00

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18. 04. 12. - 15:00

Majority ruins Opposition's attempt to sack House Speaker

Michael Leidig

The Opposition interrupted today (Weds) the parliamentary strike and went back to the Chamber of Deputies asking for the resignation of its Speaker Roberta Anastase (photo), local press informs.

The Deputies of the Majority however dismissed the request arguing there was not sufficient quorum to vote on the proposal.

"By suspending the Chamber’s sitting, the Deputies of the Majority made a fool of themselves proving they are not able to bring their own legislators in Parliament. We have a legitimate protest but they are just skipping the sessions without any reason.
Because the opposition outnumbered the majority today, they decided to suspend the session altogether", Social Democrat leader and co-president of the Social Liberal Union (USL) Victor Ponta said.

"As Boc, Udrea and Blejnar (former PM Emil Boc, former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea and former fiscal body head Sorin Blejnar sacked on Tuesday), Roberta Anastase will fall. We lost a battle in a long war. I want to congratulate my colleagues for leading this battle", Ponta said.

At the end of January the opposition went on strike indefinitely in protest against the former Cabinet's practice of passing laws by demanding a vote of confidence without prior parliamentary and public debates and against fraud during the vote on the Pension's Bill that stirred massive discontent. Lower Chamber Speaker Roberta Anastase is accused of having rigged the vote in favour of the majority and for breaching the Chamber’s rules numerous times.

After its resolution was turned down, USL resumed its parliamentary boycott.
Also today, the Opposition filed a motion of no confidence against the Cabinet lead by Premier Mihai Razvan Ungureanu. Ponta says there are slim chances for the cabinet to fall as USL still needs 15 votes for the motion to pass. "I’m very cautious as to the outcome of the motion as we don’t count (the votes) as Mrs Anastase does", Ponta said.

The opposition wants to dismiss the government because of the the way in which the Cabinet handles the selling of natural resources (gas, oil, gold, copper), the way in which public money is wasted on electoral  bribes and the breach of the constitutional principle of the autonomy of the universities.

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