USR’s initiative “No sanctions in public office” has been buried. It was not a quorum. Why didn’t USR enter the hall?

UPDATE Robert Cazanciuc: Only 58 senators were present, although it took 68 elected to be a quorum. Senators from the USR did not enter the room, arguing that PSD did not allow online voting. The PNL did not enter the room either, because the law that allows the postponement of parliamentary elections was also on the agenda. Therefore, the referendum to amend the Constitution (which must be held within 30 days after the approval of the law) can no longer take place simultaneously with the parliamentary elections on December 6.

TO UPDATE “The USR does not participate in the meeting if the No Sanctions telephone vote is not carried out, because in this case there is no possibility of obtaining the necessary number of votes (90 senators). I asked the Leaders Committee to vote by phone, because in all the weeks of the pandemic so far it has not been accepted yet ”, announces USR. “I ask PSD and PNL to support without sanctions. Any other maneuver is made to block this initiative, ”said USR leader Dan Barna.

***

The PSD imposed a physical presence in the vote for “There are no criminals in public office”, although the previous day the parties had decided that the vote should be mixed: physical (for parliamentarians who are in Bucharest) and online (for from the country). The decision puts USR at a disadvantage, because many senators (from all parties) are in the territory. If the decision to vote physically is upheld, a quorum may not be obtained, say Adevărul political sources. And even if there is a quorum, it is almost impossible for USR to obtain a two-thirds majority, says USR Senator Radu Mihail.

If there are 90 votes “in favor”, the initiative will be adopted and the referendum to reform the Constitution will take place on December 6, simultaneously with the parliamentary elections.

USR leader Dan Barna called on all political party leaders to send senators to vote in plenary on Wednesday on the “No criminals in public office” initiative. “Today is a historic day for Romania. After 2 years of efforts, after a million citizens who have requested it, the citizens’ initiative No criminals in public office is today on the Senate agenda. I call on the presidents of the parties, Mr. Orban, Mr. Ciolacu, Mr. Kelemen Hunor, Mr. Tomac: send your senators to vote today. A vote on the No Penalties initiative given today by the Romanian Senate would be a message that this toxic Parliament, a Parliament that in many moments, in the last 4 years, has almost taken Romania out of Europe, could wash its face a little, could do what is really necessary for society ”, said Dan Barna, on Wednesday in Parliament.

NLP senator Alina Gorghiu declared that liberals will vote “for” the citizens’ initiative “No criminals in public office”, if it comes to the vote on Wednesday, even if the project has no report because of the PSD. “If the initiative to revise the Constitution comes to a vote, although it does not have a report due to the PSD, then we will vote” in favor “of this initiative. In fact, it is an initiative that the National Liberal Party has supported, including by signing with the President Klaus Iohannis and the other parties of the National Agreement that implies the implementation of the 2019 referendum, as well as the integrity criteria for the exercise of public office, Gorghiu completed.

The president of the Senate, Robert Cazanciuc, announced that the decision in the meeting of the committee of leaders of the parliamentary groups was that the initiative “No criminal in public office” could be voted without a report of the legal commission. He added that in order to be approved, the bill must receive 90 votes in plenary, and then go to the Constitutional Court, which has five days to examine compliance with the Basic Law, and the referendum can be held on the last Sunday of the 30. days foreseen by the Referendum Law.