VZCZCXRO9970
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBM #0180 0471055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161055Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6058
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000180 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV RO
SUBJECT: BEFORE A HALF-EMPTY PARLIAMENT, BASESCU PROPOSES 
TO CHANGE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, REFORM POLITICAL CLASS 
 
REF: A. BUCHAREST 158 
     ¶B. BUCHAREST 170 
 
¶1. (SBU) In a February 14 address before Parliament, 
President Traian Basescu announced his intention to organize 
a national referendum to change the electoral process in 
favor of uninominal voting and away from the current party 
list system.  Basescu focused his address on what he labeled 
a central challenge in Romanian politics: its self-centered 
political class.  Whereas Romanian society as a whole had 
made "remarkable progress" since the 1989 Revolution, it was 
less true of the politicians.  Romania was witnessing at 
present "the victory of party interests over the public 
interest."  Basescu stressed that a cross-party coalition had 
formed in opposition to reforms and the popular will.  He 
said he was alarmed that "the expectations of the Romanian 
political class are different now than they were several 
months ago."  "We have seen," Basescu went on, "that in the 
current electoral system, one can govern without the support 
of public opinion.  We have seen that...control over state 
resources and backroom understandings are more important than 
public support and the desire of the public for reforms." 
Uninominal voting, as opposed to the current party list 
system, would reverse the relationship within parties, making 
the leadership of the parties dependent on the support of 
parliamentarians, not vice versa. According to him, the 
electoral reform would "transfer power from the party 
leaderships to the electorate at the local level." In a 
letter to Parliamentary leaders on February 15, Basescu 
announced he wanted to hold the referendum in the second half 
of March. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Opposition deputies had announced a boycott of the 
President's speech a few hours beforehand, and even some 
prominent members of the National Liberal Party, such as 
President of the Chamber of Deputies Bogdan Olteanu, absented 
themselves.  In the run-up to the session, some opposition 
leaders had also insisted that Basescu apologize for his 
verbal attacks on the Parliament, especially recent remarks 
the President had made alleging that some (unnamed) 
politicians "make laws for criminals." Predictably, Basescu 
did not apologize, instead suggesting the Parliamentary 
leadership had overreacted since he had not condemned the 
Parliament as an institution.  The problem went beyond simply 
Parliament; it also affected local politicians and government 
officials.  "The disease is widespread in our whole political 
and administrative system," Basescu stressed.  He went on to 
support his argument with examples of 
"politically-influenced" legislation on such matters as 
privatization projects and the activities of the State 
Property Agency. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Basescu's speech and proposal to conduct a 
referendum to reform the electoral system was immediately 
labeled by Social Democratic Party President Mircea Geoana as 
a "cheap trick" to deflect attention away from the 
opposition's own moves to suspend and then unseat the 
Romanian President.  Liberal Olteanu, an important political 
ally of the Prime Minister's and a frequent Basescu critic, 
called Basescu's performance "pure demagoguery." 
Conservative Party (PC) Senator Sabin Cutas deplored the fact 
that Basescu did not apologize for his remarks about 
legislation favoring criminals. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment: At a minimum, Basescu's call for a 
referendum to reform the electoral system will present the 
opposition with some tactical challenges.  But it looks 
doubtful that it will blunt its ongoing campaign to rid 
itself of Basescu and key reformers like Justice Minister 
Macovei.  Whether the somewhat arcane argument in favor of a 
uninominal electoral system resonated with the Romanian 
public in a positive way remains, for the moment, unclear. 
In the face of a steady anti-Basescu drumbeat in much of the 
oligarch-controlled national media, the president will need 
to do more to keep pace in what is now a no-holds barred 
contest for Romanian hearts and minds.  End Comment. 
TAUBMAN