Parties see differently Constitution changing

The need for amending the Constitution is supported by the entire political class and included among the priorities in the program of the USL Government whose composition will be announced tomorrow.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta has submitted the adamant signal of the Constitution revision, and the debate is expected to focus on several controversial topics: presidential or parliamentary nature of the Republic, the role and responsibilities of the institutions of the State or administrative territorial division.

There are few common views between parties, whether we're talking about power-opposition relations, whether we're talking about the common points between the partners.

The need for regulating the relations between institutions

Everyone says that the experience of past years has shown that should be regulated the relations between the institutions and powers of each need to be clarified, whether we speak of the Parliament, the Government, the President or justice.

Only that each party wants to emphasize the power elsewhere. PSD and PNL want to reduce the President's powers or duties .

However, only liberals tilt the balance clearly to the classical parliamentary republic.

"We have said that also under the current Constitution Romania is a parliamentary republic, but what happened in the last few years under the controversial decisions of the Constitutional Court is that we removed from the parliamentary form of the republic.

"What you have to do by reviewing the constitutional is to strengthen this concept, parliamentary Republic in which the Executive is the Executive's role, which is respnsibile in front of the Parliament," said the former Minister of Justice, liberal Tudor Chiuariu.

UDMR says that the parliamentary republic involves the selection of the President by the Parliament, would be further strengthened the power of the Prime Minister and to solve the conflict between the President and Prime Minister. The power of Parliament should increase.

"The essence of the rule of law and democracy is strong parliament. In the modern world, since the 1990s, most countries of the world, not only in Europe, is trying to transition from unicameral Parliament, a bicameral "said Gyorgy Frunda.

Here comes PDL, who does not want any reduction of bicameral and presidential power. Democratic Liberals say that the referendum in 2009 showed that Romanians want unicameral legislature, with a small number of members of Parliament; in this case, 300.

Parliamentary or semi presidential Republic

Democrat-liberals don't agree with the idea of the parliamentary Republic, preferring the formula of semi presidential. In addition, when it comes to the relationship between the President and the legislative, democrat-Liberals say that the Parliament can do whatever it wants, in some cases, without being punished.

"At the moment, in Parliament, whatever it be, it starts a suspension of the President, and this approach fails, then automatically the Parliament should be dissolved, because, in the end, it has been defeated its will by people," said Daniel Buda , Democrat-Liberal from the Chair of the Legal Committee of lawmakers.

All on the President-Parliament liaison , the social democrats are on a moderate position. They say they would want parliamentary republic, as is the case of PNL, or president to be elected by Parliament; however, Romanians want something else.

"Romania's population wants to choose the president, and this one should not be elected by parliament. In the end, the Constitution shall enter into force if it is confirmed by the population through a referendum, "says Toni Grebla, the Chairman of the Legal Commission of the Senate.

Those who close circle are those from minorities. They tilt the balance to the parliamentary republic.

Translated by
Denisse-Meda Bucura