http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6665919.stm Romania votes on president's fate Voting is under way in Romania in a referendum that will decide the fate of the country's suspended President, Traian Basescu.
Mr Basescu was accused of violating the constitution and was suspended by parliament on 19 April. He has been locked in a long-running power struggle with his former ally, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu. With a high turnout expected, Mr Basescu is tipped to win enough support to survive in office. It has been a bitter, polarising campaign in which appeals for civility and restraint have all but been ignored, says the BBC's Razvan Scortea in Bucharest. The voters will have to decide whether Mr Basescu is a threat to democracy or a political hero pushing for renewal and good governance. There are more 18 million eligible voters, including two million Romanians living abroad. If a majority of voters back the impeachment, Mr Basescu will be removed from office. 'New beginning' Polls opened at 0800 (0500 GMT) and will close at 2000, with results expected overnight. Two hours after polls began, some 6.25% of voters had cast ballots, election officials said. "I am voting for Basescu because he is honest and a fighter," Nela Prodan, 48, a shop manager in the northwest city of Cluj, told the Associated Press news agency. "He's done a lot for us and he is going to do more." Gabriela Herea, a 66-year-old former teacher from Bucharest, told Reuters news agency she wanted Mr Basescu to win. "I've got sick of living in a country run by thieves, only Basescu can help us get rid of them," she said. The opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), who initiated the impeachment process, describe Mr Basescu as dictatorial and corrupt, a failure who has never lived up to his constitutional duties. "I voted for the chance of a new beginning for all those who don't want scandal and chaos and who want to live in... a democratic Europe," said SDP head Mircea Geoana. Turmoil in prospect The president says his enemies are desperate to stop his anti-corruption drive, which has rattled what he calls "the economic mafia". The referendum will give the people's verdict, but it may not end the crisis. If the president wins, he will still be facing his opponents in parliament, who also control the government, says our correspondent. The president has called for them to resign, but legally he cannot force them to go. On Friday, Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu warned that Europe's patience with Romania had a limit and that after the referendum, politicians should stop fighting and get back to work. If Mr Basescu loses the referendum, a presidential election has to be held within three months. However, the opposition parties appear to lack a strong candidate, so Mr Basescu could return as frontrunner. Some analysts say that only a general election could calm the situation, but the next poll is more than 18 months away. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6665919.stm Published: 2007/05/19 10:42:00 GMT C BBC MMVII ---------------------------- Vali "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." (Carlo Goldoni) "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)
