Official results released Sunday, May 20, showed that about 75 percent of those participating in Saturday’s referendum backed Basescu, who has pledged to stamp out corruption among politicians and other high-ranking officials, including those serving in the previous communist regime when dissidents as well as active Christians, were oppressed.
Parliament suspended the 55-year-old former oil-tanker captain from his presidential duties in April on charges he violated the constitution by abusing his power. Basescu allegedly ordered the secret services to spy on opposition politicians as part of his efforts to stamp out corruption.
Among his loudest critics was former President Ion Illiescu, an ex-communist who was investigated for his controversial role in calling in miners to crush a demonstration against his rule in 1990. The confrontation killed at least six people.
CORRUPT OFFICIALS
Speaking to supporters in Bucharest, Basescu, who won the presidency in 2004, said the outcome of Saturday’s referendum showed that most people support his efforts to free his country from corrupt officials.
"I draw a single conclusion from this vote," he says, "and that is that Romanians want to change the political class." Basescu stressed that Saturday’s vote was "a referendum of trust" and showed that "most Romanians" support his attempts "to stamp out corruption" and that "Romanians want justice." Basescu said he wants to hit out at those who got rich at the fall of communism and allegedly frustrated his anti-corruption drive.
Basescu also told his enthusiastic supporters that he seeks "a new constitution" clarifying the balance of power between institutions, to reform the electoral system, and to clean up the administration. In addition the president pledged to fight for "a healthy education system" that gives opportunities to everyone.
POLITICAL OPPONENTS
But political opponents, such as Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, expressed doubts that many people support Basescu’s initiatives, saying only about half of Romania’s roughly 18 million voters participated in the referendum.
"The low voter turnout is very significant. It shows that the priorities of the Romanian people are very different to those of Basescu," he said. "From tomorrow we must all concentrate on one thing, and that is on what the Romanian people want. I assure you my government will do that."
Yet, the outcome was seen as welcome news for the United States and the European Union. Basescu is a staunch US ally who Western diplomats have credited with helping to implement reforms that were crucial for Romania to join the EU on January 1, this year.
Washington closely monitored the situation at a time when the US wants to send hundreds of troops as early as this summer to Romania and Bulgaria. They are part of a bid to transfer fighting brigades from western Europe, mostly Germany, to forward bases closer to the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa, for a quicker strike capability. (This BosNewsLife news story also airs on the Voice Of America. www.voanews.com).
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