June 27, 2018 UPDATE
Parliament dismisses no-confidence motion against Dancila Cabinet
Newsroom, 27.06.2018, 19:36
NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE – The Parliament in Bucharest Wednesday dismissed a no-confidence motion initiated by the National Liberal Party and entitled “The resignation of the Dragnea-Dancila government – a national emergency! The text only got 166 out of the 233 votes it needed in order to pass. The signatories of the motion, which was supported by the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party, criticised the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats among others for the changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure, restricting the presidents powers and the negative economic developments.
PROTESTS – Thousands of people protested near the Parliament building in Bucharest in support of the no-confidence motion. They demanded the resignation of the government and are chanting anti-coalition slogans. Protesters said they are unhappy with the governments lack of interest in securing investments for infrastructure, healthcare and education, instead concerning itself only with the judicial system in order to solve their problems with the law.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL – The head of state, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in a meeting of the European Council, where he will express Romanias support for the NATO and EU initiatives to improve military mobility. According to the presidential administration, he will also plead for maintaining an attractive investment climate in the EU. The meeting agenda also includes topics like migration, Brexit, the future Community budget and the Unions foreign relations, the Presidency explained.
JUDICIARY – The former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism in Romania (DIICOT), Alina Bica, who Tuesday received a final 4-year prison sentence, is currently wanted internationally, the Romanian Police announced on Wednesday. She was found guilty of encouraging an offender. The former DIICOT chief is at present in Costa Rica, where according to her lawyer, she was granted the political refugee status.
INDICTMENT – The former minister for regional development Sevil Shhaideh was sent to court in the so-called “Belina case, under charges of abuse of office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate announced on Wednesday. According to prosecutors, in 2013, when she was a state secretary in the same ministry, Shhaideh submitted to the Cabinet a draft resolution to the effect that parts of Belina Island in the Danube plains were illegally transferred from public property to the property and administration of the Teleorman County Council. Prosecutors argue that the transfer could only be done under a law, and not through a government resolution.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
