The President of Romania Traian Basescu invoked Article 66 in the Romanian Constitution yesterday to summon the two Chambers to extraordinary session in the early August in order to reach consent to the solicitations for the start of criminal investigations against certain former ministers and present MPs, solicitations coming from the High Court of Justice in Romania and the National Anti-Corruption Department. According to the head of state, "a response to meet the expectations of Romanian citizens and European partners would prove the Parliament is responsible." In his letter to the presidents of the two Chambers, the Romanian President invokes the delays mentioned in the European Commission's latest report on Romanian Justice, also reminding that the safeguard clause is still a menace. The President mentions as well that one reason why the EU decided to go on monitoring the Justice in Romania is the fact that the Parliament deadlocked some criminal investigations against high officials. The President takes the opportunity to remind that he had asked for an extraordinary session of the Romanian Parliament in June 26, arguing that, had his solicitation been met, the European Commission's report could have been less critical of the Parliament. (Z.O.)