Basescu wins referendum by huge percentage

The number of votes with which Traian Basescu won the referendum has caused bewilderment among the parties that had suspended the president. According to partial results from the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), the turnout registered was 43.9%, with 74.3% (5,746,730 voters) of votes recorded against the impeachment of the president, and 24.9% of votes recorded in favour of impeachment (1,924,692 voters). Basescu will return to Cotroceni (the presidential headquarters) after the Constitutional Court has validated the result of the referendum, and Parliament has taken note of this decision. The final results will be confirmed today. No political party, with the exception of the PRM (The Greater Romania Party) has contested the result of elections. As far as statements made by politicians are concerned, reactions lean towards reconciliation. However, there are countless questions that remain to be answered, the first of which regards Basescu’s future actions. He announced he would discuss his programme for reshaping political class with the parties – by modifying the Constitution, and introducing the uninominal vote. However, he hinted he would be the same combative president, an attitude that was largely responsible for his suspension by Parliament. In the other camp, the politicians who lost will have to go through a reassessment process. One of the liberal vice-presidents, Ludovic Orban, Basescu’s fierce opponent, asked yesterday that the PNL (National Liberal Party) move to the opposition, a demand which has been discussed at length among Liberal circles.