Time Limit For No-Confidence Motion Debate Chosen To Prevent Abuse – Romania PM

According to Boc, the Constitution states a no-confidence motion must be debated exactly three days after having been read out in plenum, „not at least three days after.” He argued that this period was chosen specifically to protect the opposition from a possible abuse of power by the ruling party, which could otherwise delay the debate on the motion indefinitely.

Romania’s Senate chairman, opposition social democrat Mircea Geoana, said in a letter to democrat liberal Senate vice-president Anca Boagiu that he is calling a standing office meeting for Monday regarding the no-confidence motion calendar.

Senators of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party urged Geoana to summon a standing office meeting urgently, in response to the Senate chairman’s invitation to Senate leaders for an informal discussion on the calendar set for the opposition’s no-confidence motion. Geoana had set the informal meeting for Saturday.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc on Monday sought the lawmakers’ confidence vote for the country’s austerity plan, which cuts social welfare benefits, pensions and public sector wages.

Boc is now facing a no-confidence motion, submitted against the two austerity laws by the social democrats. The standing offices of Romania’s two chambers of Parliament decided Tuesday that the no-confidence motion will be put to the vote next Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.

President Traian Basescu sent a letter to the Parliament Thursday, requesting that the no-confidence motion debate be moved up and arguing the constitutional time limit for the debate is three calendar days, not workdays.

Geoana replied later Thursday that, according to the Constitution, the debate can take place no sooner than in three days from seeking a confidence vote, the no-confidence motion vote will be held Tuesday.