Chamber passes three-year statutes of limitation on incompatibility, conflict of interest

The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed 196 votes to 59 and four abstentions a legislative proposal amending Law 161/2003 to include a three-year statute of limitation for actions committed by the persons in the exercise of public dignities or public functions that determine the existence of conflict of interest or incompatibility. 

The draft, initiated by a group of PSD lawmakers, also states that local elected official may conduct private activities that are not related to the duties of their held positions. 

"Actions committed by persons carrying out their public duties that determine the existence of a conflict of interest or incompatibility shall be subjected to a three-year statute of limitation counting from the date of commission, in accordance with Article 2517 of Law 287/2009 on the Civil Code," reads the adopted text. 

Under the draft, "mayors, deputy mayors, the Bucharest general mayor and deputy mayors may be gainfully employed in the field of education, scientific research and artistic literary creation. The local elected may hold offices in the private sector that are not directly related to their official duties as mayors or deputy mayors, general mayor or deputy mayor of Bucharest. " 

Local and county councillors may also hold offices in the private sector that are not directly related to the public offices. 

A supplement to the law states that "the state of incompatibility shall last until the date of the legal expiration of the term in office in which the local elected officer held an office or a capacity that determined the incompatibility." 

The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making chamber in this case.