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Summary Opinion polls show two-thirds of Romanians are expected to vote in favour of impeaching Basescu.
Romanians went to the polls Sunday to decide whether to impeach their president Traian Basescu, bringing to a head weeks of political feuding that has mired the young democracy in crisis.Opinion polls show two-thirds of Romanians are expected to vote in favour of impeaching Basescu, once one of the countrys most popular politicians whose ratings plummeted amid austerity cuts in 2010.I came to vote to say down with Basescu, said Dumitru Cristea, a retired 61-year-old, outside a polling centre in central Bucharest.Hes done nothing but harm to the country, cutting wages, raising taxes on retirement income. Hes attacked little people like us instead of taking on the rich, he said.Another voter, who gave her name only as Maria, said she would not vote for impeachment, even if Basescu isnt perfect. Because Im very worried to see what the ruling centre-left are doing. They have broken many rules for this impeachment, theyve reshuffled the entire administration to put in their cronies; its worrying.Polling stations opened at 0400 GMT. Around 18.3 million people are eligible to vote, including large diasporas in Spain and Italy.The opening hours have been extended and a number of additional polling stations have been set up along the Black Sea coast to facilitate voting for holidaymakers and rural populations in a country where voter fatigue is high.In case turnout is lower than 50 percent, the referendum will be declared invalid and Basescu, suspended by parliament earlier this month, will be reinstated and continue his mandate, which ends in 2014.Romania has been gripped by a bitter conflict between the conservative president and the Social-Liberal Union (USL) of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, which took power in May and quickly moved to oust Basescu.The USL put up banners around Bucharest reading, Go Vote, Impeach Him.We must not forget that we cannot install solid and lasting democracy without the votes of as many people as possible,interim president Crin Antonescu said Friday.Basescu and opposition Liberal Democrats have meanwhile called on voters to boycott a referendum they say would legitimise a coup. They claim the ruling coalition plans to rig the vote.Basescu said last week that he was willing to govern with the current majority to ensure the countrys stability.If the yes vote triumphs and Basescu is permanently removed from power, Romania will have to organise a fresh presidential election.The referendum comes after weeks of contentious moves by the government to manipulate Romanias political institutions, which led to sharp warnings from Brussels and the United States that democracy was being eroded.Pontas government removed opposition parliamentary speakers, sacked an ombudsman and clipped the powers of the constitutional court.The European Commission said the moves raise serious doubts about Romanias understanding of the rule of law but nevertheless praised efforts to fight graft by the anti-corruption prosecutors office and other institutions.Last week analysts said civil society groups had been forgotten in the political fray and needed to become involved to help get the derailed political process back on track.
