Romania’s court gives Basescu fighting chance amid impeachment threatJuly 10, 2012 - 19:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Romania's Constitutional Court gave President Traian Basescu a fighting chance of beating a referendum aimed at ousting him, ruling on Tuesday, July 10 that at least half the electorate must turn out for the vote to be valid, Reuters said. But the ruling Social Liberal Union (USL) said it considered a decree passed last week, stating there was no turnout threshold, still applied - setting up a further constitutional battle and likely condemnation from Europe and the markets. The attempt by leftist Prime Minister Victor Ponta to unseat right-wing President Basescu has raised international concerns over rule of law in the European Union's second-poorest country. Parliament last week approved a measure by Ponta's USL to suspend Basescu, saying he had overstepped his powers. An impeachment referendum will take place on July 29. The Constitutional Court had been asked by the opposition to rule on the legality of a new law which would have made it easier to vote Basescu out - requiring only a majority of those voting in a referendum to impeach the president, rather than a majority of the whole electorate as was the case previously. While the court ruled on Tuesday that the law was constitutional, it also said that turnout must be more than 50 percent of the electorate for the referendum to be valid - effectively nullifying the law's impact and giving the unpopular Basescu a chance. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. |