PMP's Tomac, about OUG on referendum: Gov't obstructs activity of parliamentary party

People's Movement Party (PMP) leader Eugen Tomac accuses the Government that the Emergency Ordinance on the referendum which amends the provision regarding representation in the polling stations obstructs the activity of a parliamentary political party and he announces that the Venice Commission and the Ombudsman will be notified in this respect. 

"Using the referendum, because PMP requested a motion of no-confidence I constantly repeated that the Gov't must leave due to the 10 August events, the author of yesterday's ordinance, Ms. Minister Dan chose to take revenge on a parliamentary political party. It is for the first time when an Emergency Ordinance fundamentally amends a law that defines the way elections or a national referendum are supposed to be organised. Through yesterday's emergency ordinance, Romania's Government decides to amend articles 25 and 26 of the law on the organisation of the referendum and highlights that in the polling stations there can only be representatives of the parliamentary parties with members in both Parliament's Chambers," Tomac said in Parliament. 

According to him, the decision is aberrant and breaches a fundamental electoral right, "because both the Venice Commission and the OSCE recommend that states do not amend the electoral legislation with regard to the unfolding of elections, with direct reference to polling stations." 

In his opinion, the fact that the Gov't has chosen "to wage a war" on a political party, obstructing its right to do politics and actively participate in the political life and in the referendum is an unheard of abuse." 

"We shall address the Venice Commission on this matter, because the code conveyed to all the countries is very clear as regards the organisation in polling stations, the fundamental aspects pertaining to the organisation of the elections cannot be amended. Moreover, we will notify today [Wednesday, ed.n.] the Ombudsman because this revenge is a serious act, an attack on democracy. The Law regarding the election of the Chamber and Senate, Law 208/2015 says a parliamentary political party is the one with a parliamentary group elected in one of the two Chambers," Tomac mentioned.