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Social Democrats’ Motion On Agric Removed From Lower Chamber Agenda Amid Political Squabble

The simple motion on agriculture submitted by Romania’s opposition Social Democratic Party on Tuesday was removed from the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies, after social democrats refused to read out the motion in the plenary meeting because of disputes with ruling democrat liberals.
Social Democrats’ Motion On Agric Removed From Lower Chamber Agenda Amid Political Squabble
Oana Gavrila
07 sept. 2010, 12:16, English

The plenary meeting set off Tuesday by putting up to vote a proposition made Monday by democrat liberal group leader Mircea Toader to introduce on the agenda the standpoint of the regulation committee on allowing independent lawmakers to have a representative in the committee, and the draft decision allowing independent lawmaker Eugen Nicolicea to become member of the committee.

Toader’s proposition to introduce the two drafts on the agenda received 70 votes in favor, 20 votes against and two abstentions, which infuriated social democrats and liberals who refused to acknowledge the vote, arguing the two drafts go against the chamber’s regulation.

Social democrats Bogdan Niculescu-Duvaz, Adrian Nastase, Valeriu Zgonea and liberal Eugen Nicolaescu said the two normative acts breach the regulation and accused democrat liberals of attempting to get in the regulation committee an independent lawmaker who sides with the ruling coalition.

Despite harsh reactions from social democrats and liberals, the chamber’s agenda, which included the two normative acts, was adopted in the plenary meeting, with 98 votes in favor, 38 votes against and two abstentions. After the agenda was approved, social democrats were invited to read out the motion. Social democrat group leader Mircea Dusa said social democrats refuse to attend such parliamentary debates and stressed that if this situation continues, they will even go on parliamentary strike and notify higher European bodies that Romania breaches the parliamentary regulation and principles.

The motion filed last week by the Social Democratic Party and Conservative Party says the Government has not given farmers any real assistance in the past year. As a result, according to the two parties, more than 2.4 million tons of wheat were lost, especially because of sub-financing and the failure to provide compensation in case of natural disasters. Losses were also reported in the production of rapeseed, sunflower and corn, as well as in the vegetable sector.