Vote allowing MPs prosecution, pre-trial detention, amended

The joint plenum of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate passed on Tuesday the amendment of the law regarding the statute of deputies and senators, deciding by 292 votes to one that judiciary’s requests regarding a lawmaker’s prosecution or pre-trial detention should be approved with the majority vote of the MPs attending the vote session.

The provision was included in the MPs’ statutes, thus bringing them in line with the decisions of the Constitutional Court regarding parliamentary immunity.

‘The chamber shall rule [on allowing the criminal investigation, remand or pre-trial detention of MPs] by the secret vote of the majority of the MPs attending the vote session, in accordance with Article 67 in the Constitution of Romania,’ reads the revised MPs statute.

The amendment has been operated one day before the Constitutional Court should discuss the complaints regarding a possible judicial constitutional conflict between judiciary and Parliament in the case of senator Dan Sova, who avoided preventive arrest few weeks ago precisely failing a majority vote during the legislative session.

Liberals have criticized that Tuesday’s amendments are in fact an attempt of the Social Democrats to leave complaints filed at the Constitutional Court objectless.

Moreover, the National Liberal Party also slammed PM Victor Ponta, accusing him of using the state institutions like TAROM to prevent the Opposition from attending the debate on revising the MPs statute.

Their retort came after more Opposition MPs could not make to Bucharest to attend the Parliament plenum session, arguing they were stuck on the airports ‘in Banat, Crisana and half of Moldova’.

In retort, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu said the liberals’ statements represent “a joke”, thus rejecting PM Ponta would be involved in delaying TAROM flights.