PNL's Orban: CCR ruling in Kovesi case, the character of a coup; it cannot be taken into account

The Wednesday's CCR ruling referring to the removal from office of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) head has the character of a coup, on Thursday said the PNL (National Liberal Party, opposition) chairman Ludovic Orban, adding that the ruling cannot be taken into consideration and that the Liberals won't stand aside.

"Six Romanian citizens who temporarily exercise the attributions of justices with the Constitutional Court have made a decision that is looking like a coup d'etat, endangering Romania's democracy and affecting the country's Constitution. Following the analysis I have carried out on the minute publicly presented by the CCR, I have found several extremely serious elements within legal conflict of a constitutional nature," said Orban in Parliament.

Orban went on to say that by this ruling, the CCR, which has to be a guarantor of the Constitution being observed, is breaking the fundamental law, "by mocking the principle of the justice's independence."

"One cannot say that the principle of the independence of justice is observed when the justices are left to the mercy of a Justice minister politically appointed. Moreover, the CCR is ignoring the constitutional role of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), which is the guarantor of the justice's independence. The CCR had no quality whatsoever to give a ruling on the reasons of the president's refusal," the Liberals' head added.

The PNL Chairman stressed that the CCR cannot force the President of Romania to do something within the context of his constitutional attributions.

In his opinion, the PSD - ALDE (Social Democratic Party - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ed. n.) alliance is seeking to ruin the legal framework of the anti-graft fight, and the PNL cannot stand aside. He emphasised that the CCR ruling cannot be taken into consideration and "in particular, it cannot generate any effect regarding the President's action and activity. Today, more than ever we realise the importance of the censor motion through which we can send home those who put democracy in danger."

He added that PNL is waiting for the Court's motivation, then it will decide the steps to be taken.

"There is somebody above the CCR and that somebody is the Romanian people. The Romanian people can decide, at anytime, because it has the sovereignty and any constitutional, legal means can be found. (...) The CCR cannot force the President to act outside the Constitution. The CCR ruling cannot be unconstitutional and therefore generate unconstitutional effects. We will find the ways (of action, ed. n.), we are awaiting the CCR's motivation and the moment we have it, we will find all the legal and constitutional leverage to prevent this occult maneuver through which the CCR, in fact the political majority, is attempting to affect democracy," the Liberal leader stressed.

Ludovic Orban asserted that he cannot say anything about the steps forward until knowing the Court's motivation, mentioning that he is considering the possibility of amending the Constitution and organising street protests.

"We are looking at all the possibilities and we will be by the President's side and will support all of his moves. (...) A referendum is possible, absolutely anything is possible. We shall talk to our partners, obviously, with the real Opposition, we shall appeal to all forms of protest, street protests included, we shall use all the leverage we can get," the PNL Chairman concluded.