Kelemen Hunor, the president of the UDMR, excludes the possibility that the mandate of the president Klaus Iohannis can be extended by an organic law in the event of a state of emergency.
Kelemen Hunor, president of UDMR Photo: Kelemen Hunor /Facebook
The Constitution of Romania provides, in article 83, the following:
(1) The mandate of the President of Romania is 5 years and is exercised from the date of taking the oath.
(2) The President of Romania exercises his mandate until the newly elected President is sworn in;
(3) The mandate of the President of Romania can be extended, by organic law, in case of war or catastrophe.
“The constitution states that the term of office of the president is five years. This means that the mandate of President Iohannis expires on December 21. The next article reads like this: “The mandate of the president ends when the new president is sworn in.” Here the two paragraphs of the Constitution collide. And the third paragraph says that the president’s mandate can be extended in case of war, in case of a state of emergency. So I think we don’t even have to think about the third paragraph“, said Kelemen Hunor for Agerpres.
The President of the UDMR believes that the interpretation of the first two articles regarding the mandate of the President should be done by the Constitutional Court.
“The Constitutional Court must tell us exactly how to read, how to interpret the first two articles. If the president cannot stay – the current president – then, of course, the new president of the Senate will create the interim position for a certain period. If Iohannis can stay then, surely, until the presidential elections, he can stay. But I exclude only the third option. That can’t be done. This would mean that Romania has left the democratic world“, the UDMR leader said.
Iohannis explained what he will do following the cancellation of the presidential elections
Klaus Iohannis stated, in a press statement, that he remains in office “until a new president is elected”
“In the Romanian constitution we read in article 83, paragraph 2 – “The President of Romania exercises his mandate until the newly elected President is sworn in”. Conclusion: I remain in office until a new president of Romania is elected. When the new president is sworn in, I’ll be out of here. And no, I will not be the prime minister of Romania. I just want to see this mandate through“, stated Iohannis.
