Romanian President Says Court Ruling Leaves Country Without Int Min During Elections

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday that if social democrats wanted the presidential decree appointing democrat liberal Vasile Blaga for interior minister suspended to leave the country without an interior minister during elections, they have unfortunately succeeded.

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"If the goal was to have no interior minister during elections, it's been reached, unfortunately," Basescu said, noting the court ruling to suspend the decree comes upon the expiry of the 45 days of Blaga's interim term in office.

Basescu also said the court's ruling is "interesting" considering the same decree was challenged before the Constitutional Court, which said it was legitimate.

The Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled Friday to suspend the presidential decree by which democrat liberal Vasile Blaga replaced social democrat Dan Nica at the headship of the country's Interior Ministry early October.

The decree is suspended until the court rules to annul it. The ruling may be appealed within five days with the High Court of Justice.

On October 1, Romania's President Traian Basescu signed the decrees dismissing Interior Minister Nica and appointing Blaga for interim interior minister.

Nica said on October 5 his dismissal from the headship of the Interior Ministry and the appointment of democrat liberal Development Minister Vasile Blaga as interim interior minister were achieved with two illegal decrees issued by the head of state.

Nica added the interim Government led by Emil Boc functioned illegally as the decree which overthrew him from the leadership of the Interior Ministry used the term revocation, while the decree appointing Blaga as interior minister used the term dismissal. Nica said the two terms differ according to the law on ministers' liability, in the way that revocation entails naming a tenurial minister and not an interim one.

The Interior Ministry organizes and oversees elections. Romania holds a second round of presidential elections Sunday, December 6, when Basescu will compete for a second term against social democrat leader Mircea Geoana.

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