ROMANIA:Romania's highest court rejected President Traian Basescu's appeal against suspension yesterday, amid expressions of concern from top EU officials that the country's political crisis could jeopardise vital reforms
Mr Basescu had vowed to resign immediately if parliament froze his powers for alleged abuse of office, but announced yesterday that he would not step down. He will now face a national impeachment referendum within a month.
"The constitutional court confirmed parliament's decision to suspend Traian Basescu and endorsed senate speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu for the interim president," said Acsinte Gaspar, one of the court's judges.
Parliament voted on Thursday to suspend the president for allegedly undermining the government, interfering in legal cases and maintaining links to organised crime.
The constitutional court had declared earlier that Mr Basescu had done nothing wrong, but its non-binding decision did not stop the vote in parliament, where the president has relatively few allies after falling out in recent months with the ruling Liberals and spending years hounding the ex-communist Social Democrats (PSD), who lead the opposition.
Hundreds of people rallied in support of Mr Basescu after his suspension. He is almost certain to win a national referendum on whether to impeach him, given his consistently high popularity ratings.
"The time has come for justice to be done in Romania," said Mr Basescu, a former sea captain. "I am the captain of the long-distance voyage and this voyage as president will be long."
He added: "My voters are the ones who want a modern Romania."
The president denies the charges against him and accuses political foes of trying to sideline him to prevent his anti-corruption drive destroying their shadowy networks of wealth and influence.
Mr Basescu, who won a surprise election victory over the favoured PSD candidate in late 2004, ended his speech by telling supporters they would "see each other at the polls".
Brussels fears that the suspension of Mr Basescu could stymie reform in Romania, which is widely seen as the most corrupt member of the EU.
"What I strongly wish is that there will not be a lowering of the consolidation of the process of reform," said EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini.
