Romanian Pres Sticks To Referendum/EP Elections Combo

According to a press release issued by the presidential administration, president Traian Basescu sent Tuesday to Parliament the request for the reexamination of the Law amending article 5 of Law no. 3/2000 on the organization and unfolding of the referendum.

In the request for reexamination, Basescu indicates that the Law sent for promulgation amends the dispositions on the organization and unfolding of the referendum, namely "it is prohibited that presidential, Parliament, or European Parliament elections cannot take place on the same day as the referendum."

These provisions are introduced through the single article of the law sent for promulgation, amending article 5 of Law no.3/2000, said the press release.

At the same time, said the head of state, through Decision no.355/April 4, 2007, the Constitutional Court said that "all provisions of the Law amending Law no.3/2000 on the organization and unfolding of the referendum are unconstitutional."

The president claims that the provisions of the new law sent for promulgation are a violation of the Constitution and lack of obedience for the decisions no. 567/2006, no.147/2007 and no.335/2007 of the Constitutional Court, setting that any limitation of the constitutional prerogatives of the president in view of consulting the people through referendum is unconstitutional.

"Conditioning the date for election unfolding on the date of referendum organization might generate constitutional blocks, since the Constitution expressly states time frames in which parliament and presidential elections might be organized," said Basescu.