Romania's top court reinstates president

Romania's top court on Tuesday declared that the impeachment vote of president Traian Basescu was invalid. The move allowed for Basescu to be reinstated. Basescu, who was impeached in a July 29 referendum, has been locked in a bitter political battle with rival Victor Ponta, currently serving as prime minister. The power struggle has been interpreted by some outside analysts as a test of Romania's democracy two decades after the violent overthrow of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. According to news agency Mediafax, the judges' decision was adopted with a majority vote of six to three, a margin Ponta had previously stated was the bare minimum for him to accept the court's decision. "I took note of the court decision and as previously announced, we will obey the decision," said Crin Antonescu, a co-leader of Ponta's leftist Social Liberal Union (USL). Antonescu had been serving as acting president in Basescu's absence. Basescu, a former oil tanker captain and president of Romania since 2004, had previously accused Ponta of attempting to stage a coup and take control of independent institutions. The political battle has sent Romania's currency, the leu, to record lows, hurting investor confidence abroad. Basescu's impeachment, originally launched by Ponta, required a 50 percent turnout to be binding. However, only 46 percent of the eligible electorate took part - leading to the need for the constitutional court to rule on the vote's validity. "We stated that the referendum quorum condition was not met," chief judge Augustin Zegrean told reporters. A decision by the court was originally due August 2, but was delayed due to the highly charged nature of the decision. Power struggle A photo dated July 22, 2012 shows Romanian suspended President Traian Basescu gesturing during a media briefing in Bucharest, Romania. Romania's Constitutional Court delayed a decision on the validity of a referendum on impeaching the president. Basescu was also temporarily suspended in 2007 The conservative Basescu had become unpopular to some Romanians due to wage cuts and tax hikes in 2009 and 2011 brokered under two financing deals with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). With a population of around 19.5 million, Romania is the second-poorest member of the European Union. In the first quarter of 2012, the country dipped into a recession as a result of the political turmoil. "Basescu's political survival would suggest that tension with Prime Minister Victor Ponta will continue, with the potential for a renewed escalation later on in the year," said Otilia Simkova, an analyst with the Eurasia group, referencing parliamentary elections to be held in November. "Continuing political tension and forthcoming elections are not conducive to coherent policymaking." Outside groups have decried the power struggle as hurting Romania's democracy. Previously, the European Union had accused Ponta of undermining the rule of law and intimidating judges in a country that has long been criticized for political corruption and a weak justice system. Basescu was also temporarily suspended from the presidency in 2007. A national referendum allowed for him to remain in office.