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Romanian PM to 'press ahead' with corruption decrees as protests grow
Source: The Guardian
Romanian PM to 'press ahead' with corruption decrees as protests grow
Sorin Grindeanu refuses to repeal decree despite biggest popular
protests since fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu
Kit Gillet in Bucharest and Jon Henley
Thursday 2 February 2017 17.02 GMT
Romania’s prime minister has refused to repeal decrees that critics say will free corrupt officials from jail early and shield others from conviction, despite international condemnation and the biggest popular protests since the fall of communism.
“We took a decision in the government and we are going to press ahead,” Sorin Grindeanu said after a meeting of his ruling leftwing Social Democrats (PSD). The party leader, Liviu Dragnea, blamed an “ongoing campaign of lies and disinformation” for opposition to the decrees.
“The PSD won elections (in December) with a huge vote. The government’s power is legitimate,” Dragnea said, labelling the centre-right president, Klaus Iohannis, the “moral author of last night’s violence”.
Iohannis has threatened to take the ordinance to the constitutional court, the last legal resort to stop the emergency decrees passing into law. He said on Thursday he was “impressed” by the protests, adding that Romanians had “clearly what they want: the rule of law”.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Sorin Grindeanu refuses to repeal decree despite biggest popular
protests since fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu
Kit Gillet in Bucharest and Jon Henley
Thursday 2 February 2017 17.02 GMT
Romania’s prime minister has refused to repeal decrees that critics say will free corrupt officials from jail early and shield others from conviction, despite international condemnation and the biggest popular protests since the fall of communism.
“We took a decision in the government and we are going to press ahead,” Sorin Grindeanu said after a meeting of his ruling leftwing Social Democrats (PSD). The party leader, Liviu Dragnea, blamed an “ongoing campaign of lies and disinformation” for opposition to the decrees.
“The PSD won elections (in December) with a huge vote. The government’s power is legitimate,” Dragnea said, labelling the centre-right president, Klaus Iohannis, the “moral author of last night’s violence”.
Iohannis has threatened to take the ordinance to the constitutional court, the last legal resort to stop the emergency decrees passing into law. He said on Thursday he was “impressed” by the protests, adding that Romanians had “clearly what they want: the rule of law”.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/02/romanians-clash-with-police-in-biggest-protests-since-fall-of-communism
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LBN thread: Romania rocked by protests over new graft law