"We'll see who's to keep, the President or the Parliament"

President Basescu held public speech on Tuesday, claiming that his suspension is not a personal matter. "The reasons presented by the Constitutional Court doesn't refer to a president who has some rights, but to a president actively involved in the society".

The Constitutional Court (CCR) decided that Basescu's constitutional "deviations" are not of nature to cause his suspension as president, yet the final word belongs to the Parliament.

Quotes from the presidential speech:

# The arguments brought forth by the Constitutional Court confirm the fact that two years and a half of my mandate passed not only by the word, but also by the spirit of the Constitution.

# The arguments show that my criticism was not formed by personal attacks but from elements of my presidential mandate.

# The CCR decision makes this suspension process become a political action with no constitutional grounds. None, not even one of the things I was accused of was ever confirmed as an act breaking the Constitution.

# I am pleased with the relationship between myself and the Romanian people.

# Some people's desire to have a quiet and not involved president, who doesn't take position against corruption, may become reality during another president's mandate, not mine.

# I ensure all those who would love me to shut up that I won't shut up.

# What happens in the Parliament is a political decision and I will treat it accordingly.

# In case the parliament votes in favor of my suspension, I will resign during the first five minutes after the vote and I will bring back in front of the electors all those who generated such a political abuse.

# We'll see who's to keep, the President or the Parliament

# I case of early elections, I will not negotiate my votes with any political party. To negotiate is to respond to blackmail, to fail in achieving a goal I believe in: cutting Romania's oligarchs from their political influence.

HotNews.ro, Apr 17, 2007