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Save Romania Union (USR) Senate floor leader Radu Mihail pleaded for the debate and voting in Wednesday's Senate plenary sitting on the citizens' Constitution revision initiative "No convicts in public office", even without an accompanying report, arguing that a custom that requires such a report cannot prevent the legislative proposal from clearing the Senate, so that a referendum on this subject be held on December 6 concomitantly with the parliamentary election.
"Today we had another episode of the epic battle we are waging to have the 'No convicts in public office' initiative, which was signed for by one million people, enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitutionality Committee gave a favorable report, but in the Law Committee the act is trapped by people of the likes of Serban Nicolae or Carmen Dan, who refused to include it on the agenda. Due to the simplicity of the initiative, I insisted in the Leaders' Committee to have it voted on in plenary this Wednesday [without a report]. The answer was that practice does not allow for this. I find it embarrassing to explain to one million people who have signed and are waiting to go to the referendum, that such a simple law, which has been checked by the Constitutional Court, and which has cleared the Lower House, cannot be voted by the Senate because of a practice. The USR will continue to put pressure tomorrow morning in the Leaders' Committee, demanding that this piece of legislation be included in the agenda of the plenary," Radu Mihail said today.
"How can you imagine that USR would be toying around with the signatures of one million people by negotiating with the Social Democrats?! This never happened. The PSD blocked the initiative in the Law Committee. These are rumors aimed at casting doubt on a very important initiative for the Romanian society," Mihail added.
The legislative proposal provides for complementing Article 37 of the Constitution - The right to be elected - with a new text that bans the citizens who were handed custodial sentences for crimes committed with intent from being elected to local public administration bodies, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and to the position of President of Romania until the occurrence of a situation that removes the consequences of the conviction.
The Chamber of Deputies adopted the legislative proposal on July 14, and the Senate is the decision-making body on this matter. According to the Constitution, for this provision to become law, the referendum organized thereon in 30 days from its adoption in the Senate must be validated.
