Romanian Opp Social Democrat Leader Doubts New No-Confidence Motion To Topple Govt

Ponta said he doubts the new no-confidence motion will have an outcome different from the one on October 27, when opposition parties failed in their attempt to oust the Government.

He added that, if social democrats take the helm of the Government, they will amend the education law, which they deem "stupid and aberrant".

Ponta said earlier Friday he will hold negotiations with no ruling lawmakers to support the new no-confidence motion, adding he learnt a bitter lesson at the latest attempt to topple the Government.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc asked lawmakers' confidence vote Thursday to pass an education bill that he said would overhaul the entire educational system.

Opposition lawmakers walked out in protest soon after the start of the Parliament's plenary meeting after failing to postpone the procedure and wait for the Constitutional Court to resolve a claim regarding the bill.

The bill, among others, makes education mandatory starting with pre-school and allows Hungarian ethnics to be taught and evaluated in their own language for all subjects except Romanian language and literature.

Romania's centrist coalition Government survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament Wednesday, as the opposition's move only garnered 219 votes and needed at least 236 to pass and overthrow the Cabinet. Seeking a vote of confidence on the education bill, however, paves the way for a new motion of no-confidence for which opposition liberals have already started collecting signatures.

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