PM Ludovic Orban: MPs' obligation is to come to work

Prime Minister-Designate Ludovic Orban told private TV broadcaster Digi 24 on Sunday, that parliamentarians are required to be present at the government's investiture vote, and "by no means skip this for reasons that are questionable".

"Regardless of what the PSD [Social Democratic Party] wants, whether it wants the government's rejection or investiture, they must come to Parliament and fulfill the mandate entrusted to them by Romanian citizens," said Prime Minister Orban.

Orban said that "the obligation of the parliamentarians is to be present, the obligation of the parliamentarians is to come to work and not to skip for reasons that are questionable".

The prime minister said that all PNL [National Liberal Party] parliamentarians will be mobilized and said that negotiations with all parliamentary groups, except the PSD, have been held in order to convince the senators and the deputies to participate in the Government's investiture procedure.

"If the quorum is not met tomorrow, the full responsibility will be of those who will not be present. If they do not show up, it means that they are those who want to perpetuate the current state. We want Romania's good governing and we believe that it can only be assured by early elections, giving again the power to the Romanian citizens to choose a representative Parliament, which will be a solid basis for the investiture of a government to carry out the reforms Romania needs," said Ludovic Orban.

Parliament meets in a joint sitting, at 04:00 hrs on Monday, for the investiture of the new Orban Government.

According to the common regulation of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in order for the sitting in which the Orban II Government's investiture vote will be held, it is necessary to have at least 233 parliamentarians in the hall, so as to ensure the necessary quorum for the joint sittings. AGERPRES