Romanian Opp Social Democrats To Submit Single No-Confidence Motion Over Govt Austerity Plan

Romania’s opposition Social Democratic Party head Victor Ponta on Monday said his party will submit a single no-confidence motion, not two motions as initially announced, against the two laws that make up the austerity plan for which the Government seeks a confidence vote in Parliament on Monday.

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Ponta stressed that social democrats decided to no longer submit two no-confidence motions for each of the two laws because "people would have had trouble understanding" the confidence vote procedures and they would have been totally confused as regards the Government seeking a confidence vote in Parliament and the number of no-confidence motions submitted by the opposition.

Ponta added that social democrats would submit the motion with the Standing Offices of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate after Prime Minister Emil Boc presents the austerity laws in Parliament in a bid to obtain lawmakers' confidence vote for its austerity plan.

According to Ponta, the no-confidence motion might be read out in Parliament Wednesday and a vote is likely to be held early next week. Ponta underscored that if lawmakers reject the motion, social democrats will then submit a new motion on the country's new unitary pension law, until the Parliament's summer recess.

Asked whether there are lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party willing to join his party, Ponta stressed that social democrats are open to talks with lawmakers belonging to the parties which uphold the Government, even if talks are not necessarily meant to get these lawmakers to join the social democrats.

Romania's Government adopted two draft laws for which it seeks a confidence vote in Parliament Monday. The austerity plan, which cuts public sector wages, pensions and social welfare benefits, should help the recession-hit country bring its economy on track and convince the International Monetary Fund, which is leading a EUR20 billion rescue package agreed last year, to disburse further installments of the loan.

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