The new Romanian government passed the investiture vote in the
parliament on Tuesday afternoon, with 303 votes in favor and 27
against.
The cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
on Monday is based on a Liberal structure, with 4 members of the
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), but none of the
pro-presidential Democratic Party (PD).
The National Liberal Party (PNL), the UDMR, the Social
Democratic Party (PSD) and the group of national minorities voted
for the validation of the two-party governmental formula. The MPs
representing PD and the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) left the
meeting when the parliament cast vote on the new cabinet.
The validation requires the minimum 235 votes in favor out of
the total of 469 MPs.
"The parliament's vote on the government's reshuffle expresses
the will of the largest part of the political class to set aside
futile bickering, that is like a parasite on the activity of the
Executive and of the state institutions," Prime Minister Tariceanu
said after the vote.
The prime minister stressed that the vote cast by the two houses
signify parliament's will to provide the required political
stability, thus enabling the achievement of Romania's main
priorities related to narrowing the gaps separating it from the
European Union states.
The revamped government, which excluded PD members, is made up
of 15 ministers, one minister-delegate, one vice-premier and the
prime minister.
Twelve of the 17 ministers of the new cabinet were given green
light by the specialized parliamentary commissions at the hearings
of Monday evening and Tuesday. The remaining five have already held
posts in the incumbent government.
Romania is currently witnessing a period of political
turbulence. The feud has pitted President Traian Basescu's PD
against Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's PNL. Meanwhile,
the opposition Social Democrats are trying to impeach the
president.
(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2007)
