PNL’s Orban urges CCR judges to resign following the ruling on ICCJ panels

PNL leader Ludovic Orban has urged on Wednesday the Constitutional Court judges to resign, because they have voted in favour of Liviu Dragnea, as CCR admitted on Wednesday the referral regarding the conflict of interest between the Parliament and the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) on the issue of specialized judge panels on corruption, a referral filed by Florin Iordache.

“Romania is now without a Constitutional Court. I definitely request the immediate resignation of the CCR judges, because they have voted in favour of Dragnea. The decision on the 3-judge panels with the ICCJ is shocking. Now we understand the reason for postponing four times the decision, the reason was the need to change the members of the Court to have the majority for Dragnea,” Ludovic Orban said in a press release.

The Liberal chairman said PSD has succeeded in compromising the fundamental and democratic institution of CCR.

“Actually, as of today, Romania has no Constitutional Court, as Dragnea’s ghost whispered to the five judges the way to vote. The court has turned into an institution to rescue the corrupt, a political tool to pardon, which works out of the constitutional framework. The majority in the CCR served an agenda for the evil, connected not only with Liviu Dragnea, but also to thousands of other Dragneas in PSD or in the public institutions infected by this party,” Orban added.

He mentions that on the May 26 referendum, the Romanians said clearly they are against any form of pardon for the corrupt people.

“As of today we have no Constitutional Court, but 5 citizens who are able to conduct a coup d’etat. They believe they are above the wish of Romanian people, above the Constitution and above democracy. I urge their resignation. We will use all levers at our disposal when PNL will take over power in order to bring back the CCR to serve the citizen and the constitutional framework,” Orban stressed.

He called on all magistrates to maintain their integrity and not to give up to the pressures on them.

The CCR decision on Wednesday was made by 5 votes for and 4 votes against, out the 9 CCR judges. The referral has been postponed four times by the CCR judges.

Consequently, the CCR decision will influence the files judged by January 1, 2019, if they did not receive final verdict.

Sources say that beneficiaries could be Liviu Dragnea, Radu Mazere, Darius Valcov, Viorel Hrebenciuc, Dan Sova, Nicusor Constantinescu, Elena Udrea, Alina Bica, Constantin Nita, Mircea and Vlad Cosma.