Authorities are keeping the date of the election for MEPs shrouded in mystery, although the deadlines in the electoral legislation have it that the scrutiny is to take place sometime about Christmas. According to norms, it is the government who is to decide on a date for the 2007 election of Romania's representatives to the Parliament of Europe and to announce it at least 90 days before the scheduled date. Romanian Democrats are claiming the Liberals want it to take place at the same time with the local elections due in 2008, even if it means breaking the EU commitments. The Liberals are on the other hand pointing to a tricky plan belonging to the President of Romania Traian Basescu: the referendum on the uninominal vote to be held at the same time with the election of MEPs from Romania. It is to be noticed that in Romania's Treaty of Accession to the EU there is settled that the election of MEPs is to take place before December 31, 2007. (...) Postponement means sanctions Social-Democrat senator Vasile Puscas, formerly a negotiator-in-chief with the EU, claimed yesterday that to postpone the election for the following year was impossible. He argued: "This is not possible because the 2007 election of MEPs is stipulated in the Treaty by which Romania joined the EU. This point may not be modified because this is about an international juridical instrument, ratified by the Parliaments of the member states. It is not a mere technical agreement between the EU and Romania. (...) The sanctions for disobedience to the Treaty norms may reach lawsuit or expelling from certain decision-making institutions of the EU. Did Romania postpone elections, it would do harm to our credibility, for it would show us unable to respect the Treaty and its norms of political nature."

Anca HRIBAN, Ovidiu BANCHES