PM Ponta: Ruling parties' MPs to vote for Parliament declaration asking President's resignation

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said after the ruling coalition meeting on Monday that the parliamentarians of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) and the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) will vote for a political declaration by which the speakers of the two chambers of Parliament, at a joint sitting of the Romanian legislature on Wednesday, will ask President Traian Basescu to tender the resignation of honour.

'I've noted the proposal made by (Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-) Tariceanu, an initiative joined by the speaker of the Deputies' Chamber to call a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday and adopt a political declaration. /.../ The PSD-UNPR parliamentarians in the Senate and the Chamber will vote in favour of the political declaration that will ask the president of Romania to take the political responsibility for the good functioning of the justice system and for the international image of Romania', Ponta said at the Palace of Parliament.

He added the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), also a party in government, will make a decision on how they will vote after being handed the final form of the common declaration.

The move to ask President Traian Basescu to step down comes after his brother Mircea Basescu was remanded in custody for 30 days last week over bribe-taking allegations.AGERPRES