The day before the Parliament vote on suspending the country's president, the Romanian Government changed the referendum law, which following the change allows for the President to be impeached by half plus one of the participants in the vote, according to Romanian media. Before the change, the President could only have been dismissed if the referendum reached half plus one of all eligible voters.

Another change is that Romanians abroad will also be allowed to vote in the referendum, similarly to presidential elections.

Romania's President Traian Basescu was suspended in 2007 for a month, but he returned at the helm of the country after the referendum did not pass for lack of majority.

Romania's Governing coalition the Social Liberal Union (USL) initiated a series of measures earlier this week, aiming at replacing the country's president Traian Basescu. First it replaced the head of the Senate – the second man in the state and the interim president if Basescu is suspended- and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, then initiated the impeachment process in the Parliament. USL also sent the Official Gazette- where new pieces of legislation are published before being enacted- under the patronage of the Government.

The suspension vote is scheduled in the Romanian Parliament on Friday (July 6 ) at 17:00, Romanian time.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: presidency)