Wednesday, July 25, 2012

'Defamation' Attack on Opposition Alarms Romania Rights Activists ...

Human rights activists on Monday protested about the decision of Romania?s ruling coalition to file a legal complaint with the prosecutor?s office, accusing 15 opposition leaders of "undermining the national economy" and of "spreading false information".

The centre-left coalition, the USL, is accusing the country's suspended President, Traian Basescu, and another senior official, of ?spreading false information, defaming the nation and endangering the safety of the national economy and the stability of the currency?.

The USL says that Basescu and opposition leaders have transmitted false information to Romanian and international media about the current political situation in the country, ?poisoning international public opinion and that of foreign officials?.

?If this is true, we are guilty also,? media watchdog ActiveWatch said. ?We also spread public information, but only about what we considered to be abuses of the rule of law in Romania.?

ActiveWatch says that Romania must change its penal code by eliminating provisions that limit freedom of speech.

?Spreading false information that threatens national security is punishable by up to five years in jail, and the law can be used to limit freedom of expression of anyone, politicians or journalists alike,? it said.

In recent months, Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been locked in a vicious power struggle with Basescu, with Ponta appearing to stop at nothing to win the battle.

The European Union has meanwhile questioned Romania?s commitments to judicial independence and its respect for the principles of democracy.

In a report released last week, the EU criticised the leftist government's moves to curb the powers of the Romanian Constitutional Court as it battles to unseat Basescu.

Parliament voted on July 6 to suspend Basescu as President for 30 days and established July 29 as the day of a referendum in the next stage of a campaign to impeach him.

Prime Minister Ponta has accused Basescu of blocking government reforms, of abusing his position to grant favours to his allies and of interfering in the judicial system.

Basescu says his adversaries are taking revenge for the corruption conviction this year of former prime minister Adrian Nastase, a senior member of Ponta's governing coalition.

Basescu accused the government of attempting a ?coup d?etat? not just against him but also against the judiciary.

Many political rallies are set to take place in Romania to bolster support for Basescu, who could hang on to his job if the turnout in the referendum is less than 50 per cent.

However, some polls say that Basescu?s popularity has plummeted from a high water mark of around 65 per cent seven years ago to only around 15 per cent now.

Source: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/pressure-on-free-speech-prompts-protests-in-romania

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