Deputy Alba Nicolae Popa, executive secretary of Romania’s National Liberal Party, or PNL, on Saturday said that liberal MPs plan to call for an extraordinary session in Parliament unless President Traian Basescu promulgates the 2008 state budget law and to require that the law be reexamined.
Popa stressed that the state budget law is very important both for the Romanian economy and for each citizen; therefore, any aspect involving this law entails a huge responsibility.
He added that Basescu has 20 days to decide on whether to promulgate this law, and that the legal deadline expires after January 10, 2008. He also pointed out that the liberals might call for an extraordinary session in Parliament unless Basescu promulgates the law in due time.
Romania’s president Traian Basescu promulgated on Friday the 2008 state social insurance budget Law but not the state budget Law.
Leaders of Romania’s four large union confederations met with President Traian Basescu on Friday, and asked him not to promulgate the 2008 state budget law the parliament approved last week.
Unions asked the president to send the law back to parliament, as their proposed amendments had not been considered.
The president will mediate on January 3 a meeting between unions and the government to discuss unions’ proposals to amend the state budget law, union leader Bogdan Hossu said.
"The president promised to address the issue. He took no official position regarding the law, which he only received yesterday. Under the constitution he has 20 days to analyze the law," Hossu added.
The press was not allowed to participate at the meeting between union leaders and the president.
Unions last week sent the president an open letter asking him to send the state budget law back to parliament, as their proposed amendments had not been considered.
Unions said the approved law lays the ground for a deeply antisocial policy, with dramatic medium and long-term effects.
The Romanian Parliament last week approved the state and social insurance budgets, with the bulk of the funds going to education, health, agriculture and infrastructure.
(MEDIAFAX News Agency’s AUDIO service provides the recording of the statements of liberal MP Nicolae Popa. To benefit from this service, click the Mediafax audio link on the agency’s website or go to http://audio.mediafax.ro)
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