RO Govt. takes responsibility for two-round election of mayors

Romania’s Liberal Government on Wednesday, January 29, assumed responsibility in Parliament for the draft law that reintroduces the election of mayors in two rounds, News.ro reported.

The procedure will likely be followed by a no-confidence motion filed by the main opposition party - the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which could lead to the dismissal of the Government.

When the Government assumes responsibility for a law, the opposition parties can file no-confidence motions within three days, or the bill is considered validated by the lawmakers.

In a session that lasted less than 30 minutes, prime minister Ludovic Orban argued for the bill while harshly criticising the PSD, the party that was in power until October 2019.

He argued in favour of the two-round elections, claiming that this would result in mayors with broader support among voters.

PSD announced that, together with the ethnic Hungarians’ party UDMR, it will submit a no-confidence motion.

The PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, said that he trusts that the Government will be dismissed as an effect of the motion, although, mathematically, the two parties do not hold the required number of votes.

“Our belief is that, even if we do not have the number of votes, this motion will pass and, after we will have passed this stage, we will also come with more proposals,” said Ciolacu, adding that the opposition needs six or seven votes for to the motion to pass. Ciolacu previously stated that his party would attempt to form a new majority.

Meanwhile, PM Ludovic Orban and president Klaus Iohannis announced earlier in January that they agreed to pursue early parliamentary elections, which would first require the fall of the Government.

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