Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Romanian left ahead in vote, reforms questioned
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 30 - 11 - 2008


Romania's opposition Social
Democrat Party (PSD) appeared to have won Sunday's parliamentary
election, acording to exit polls, reducing chances for a revival
of EU-mandated anti-corruption reforms if it manages to form a
government, according to Reuters.
The PSD tapped into many Romanians' fears about the impact
of the global financial crisis and wealth disparities to make a
last-minute comeback after itself suffering sleaze scandals. It
promised welfare handouts and tax cuts for the poorest.
Two exit polls, one by private Realitatea TV and one by the
public TVR 1, showed the PSD, heirs to Romania's communist
regime overthrown in a bloody 1989 revolt, capturing 36-37
percent of the vote.
Another opposition group, the Democrat Liberal Party (PD-L),
a centrist grouping linked to President Traian Basescu, won
30-31 percent, while Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu's Liberal
Party (PNL) was third on 20 percent.
To form a government, the PSD will have to wrestle with the
PD-L, which benefits from close links with the president, who
nominates the prime minister under Romanian law.
Sunday's win boosts its chances of returning to power after
four years in opposition; but a coalition between the Democrats
and Liberals, who have majority together, is also possible.
"Everybody is going to play hardball so we may see a lot of
instability ahead," said Alina Mungiu Pippidi of the Romanian
Academic Society think tank.
"There is quite an important chance the PSD will get into
the next government. For fighting corruption, the situation is
pretty bad," she said.
The PSD government in 2000-2004 was widely accused of
allowing corruption to fester. Several of its top politicians
have been indicted on graft charges but trials have been blocked
by parliament or mired in court proceedings.
The prospects of tough coalition talks and a PSD government
also bode ill for efforts to insulate its economy from financial
crisis, economists said.
They say both main parties see higher government spending as
a way out, although the centrist PD-L is less likely to allow
the debt burden to balloon.
The European Union has criticised continued corruption and
organised crime in Romania, a country of 22 million which joined
the bloc along with neighbouring Bulgaria in 2007. The European
Commission has called for stronger courts and efficient
administrative systems to combat the problem.
Bucharest has undertaken some reforms but critics argue they
are far from sufficient to tackle the scourge of corruption in
business and political life.


Clic here to read the story from its source.