Where to, Basescu?
By Mihai Colibaba
"The sailor keeps fighting! What shall WE do ?". This is one of the many messages I’ve received today, after Romanian president Traian Basescu was suspended by Parliament with 322 votes in favor and 108 votes against. The political crisis, determined by the internal friction between the president and prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, has not come to an end. Basescu is still a president, at least until Monday, when the Constitutional Court gives its vote. First in Bucharest, then, all over the country, people have gathered to support Basescu and accuse the coalition between the Liberals (PNL), the Social-Democrats (PSD) and the Hungarian minority (UDMR). The Parliament accused Traian Basescu of violations to the country’s Constitution, whereas the Constitutional Court decided that the president perpetuated his constitutional rights and his allegations were nothing but political opinions to which, as any other citizen, Basescu is entitled to.
A different war
The Digital Guerilla, as we used to call Basescu’s people during the electoral campaign in 2004, has come to life again. They sent thousands of SMS, MMS and IM messages today. And they launched websites, such as www.pentrutine.net/traian-basescu.html, where visitors are encouraged to click the yellow link if they support Basescu, or the red one, if they don’t. I didn’t click any link. I voted for Basescu when he ran for president, in 2004, because I considered him the only alternative to the social democrates, then represented by former prime minister Adrian Nastase. I still do, and I’ll vote for him when he runs again. The Constitution entitles him to, and the Democrats and Liberal Democrats will choose him as a candidate.
He feels like a winner
Prime minister and Liberal leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu stated that he is fully assuming governance, all the more so as Romania need to be governed in the months ahead. Tariceanu also made an appeal that all the political disputes be solved within the democratic framework of the Romanian state and that the disputes should not be transferred in the streets.
Back to the people
When he joined the people gathered in the University Square in Bucharest, the president assured them he had understood the message of the people in the street and would do what is best for the country. " I have understood your message and I assure you that I am going to do what is right for the country. I will not desert Romanian people", said Basescu.
Simply quiet
Sibiu, European Capital of Culture in 2007, was quiet today. Just a dozen people, out of a population of 180,000 who heavily voted for him in 2004, gathered in the city’s public square. "They don’t have to protest in the public square. They’ll cast their votes, and that’s it. Basescu will be mantained in position, after the poll. If he doesn’t resign and if «they» don’t change the law while he’s suspended", says local Democrat leader, Nicolae Nan. Then he went home to watch the football game on TV.
-------------------------------->This article originally appeared on Analyzingeu.eu
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