Romania's
top court on Tuesday declared that the impeachment vote of president Traian
Basescu was invalid. The move allowed for Basescu to be reinstated.
Basescu,
who was impeached in a July 29 referendum, has been locked in a bitter
political battle with rival Victor Ponta, currently serving as prime minister.
The power struggle has been interpreted by some outside analysts as a test of
Romania's democracy two decades after the violent overthrow of dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu.
According
to news agency Mediafax, the judges' decision was adopted with a majority vote
of six to three, a margin Ponta had previously stated was the bare minimum for
him to accept the court's decision.
"I
took note of the court decision and as previously announced, we will obey the
decision," said Crin Antonescu, a co-leader of Ponta's leftist Social
Liberal Union (USL). Antonescu had been serving as acting president in
Basescu's absence.
Basescu, a
former oil tanker captain and president of Romania since 2004, had previously
accused Ponta of attempting to stage a coup and take control of independent
institutions. The political battle has sent Romania's currency, the leu, to
record lows, hurting investor confidence abroad.
Basescu's
impeachment, originally launched by Ponta, required a 50 percent turnout to be
binding. However, only 46 percent of the eligible electorate took part -
leading to the need for the constitutional court to rule on the vote's
validity.
"We
stated that the referendum quorum condition was not met," chief judge
Augustin Zegrean told reporters.
A decision
by the court was originally due August 2, but was delayed due to the highly
charged nature of the decision.
Power
struggle
 |
| Basescu was also temporarily suspended in 2007 |
The
conservative Basescu had become unpopular to some Romanians due to wage cuts
and tax hikes in 2009 and 2011 brokered under two financing deals with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
With a
population of around 19.5 million, Romania is the second-poorest member of the
European Union. In the first quarter of 2012, the country dipped into a
recession as a result of the political turmoil.
"Basescu's
political survival would suggest that tension with Prime Minister Victor Ponta
will continue, with the potential for a renewed escalation later on in the
year," said Otilia Simkova, an analyst with the Eurasia group, referencing
parliamentary elections to be held in November. "Continuing political
tension and forthcoming elections are not conducive to coherent policymaking."
Outside
groups have decried the power struggle as hurting Romania's democracy.
Previously, the European Union had accused Ponta of undermining the rule of law
and intimidating judges in a country that has long been criticized for
political corruption and a weak justice system.
Basescu was
also temporarily suspended from the presidency in 2007. A national referendum
allowed for him to remain in office.
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