Romanian opposition parties rallied on Wednesday for a vote to impeach President Traian Basescu, who threatened in return to resign if impeached.

Senate Chairman Nicolae Vacaroiu said the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies would open a joint sitting on today to vote on the impeachment proposal initiated by the Social-Democrats in opposition.

In response, Basescu said in a statement that the Constitutional Court's advice found no violation of the constitution with respect to the 19 charges cited in the impeachment proposal.

He stressed that his possible impeachment may bring foreign investments to a standstill and may lead to an unfavorable report from the European Commission.

"I caution the political party leaders to ponder over the effects of an abusive impeachment," he said.

If the impeachment was passed by parliament, a referendum was to be organized within a maximum of 30 days for Romania's population to decide whether to keep the head of state in office.

Basescu has threatened to resign if his impeachment was approved.

Under Romania's Constitution, in case the head of state resigns, the government must organize a poll for early election of a new president within three months. During this period, the Senate Chairman or the Chamber of Deputies Speaker in that order must fulfill the duties of a caretaker president.

As for the vote today , not all parliamentary parties have adopted a clear position.

The ruling National Liberal Party has decided to tell their parliamentarians to vote as their conscience tells them, party leader and Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said.

Leader of the ruling Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania Marko Bela echoed the prime minister as saying that he would make no recommendations to the members of his formation and they would vote according to their own conscience.

The Social Democratic Party remained firm on dismissing the president. Party leader Mircea Geoana said "Traian Basescu tries in vain to avoid dismissal through a resignation."

The opposition Conservative Party said it would vote in favor of Basescu's impeachment. Leader Dan Voiculescu said the parliamentarians in his party would cast such a vote in unanimity.

Parliamentarians from the Greater Romania Party in opposition said they would vote in unanimity in favor of Basescu's impeachment. "More than certain on Thursday we will see a crushing vote in favor of impeachment," said party leader Vadim Tudor.

The pro-presidential Democratic Party would unequivocally vote against impeachment, according to party leader Emil Boc.

The parliamentarians of the Liberal Democrat Party, another pro-presidential party, decided to stage a walkout at the moment of the vote to protest against the impeachment proposal.

The idea of impeachment emerged earlier this year amid a political crisis triggered by accusations traded by the president and the prime minister.

The Social-Democrats accused the president of repeatedly violating the constitution, which the president denied.

On Feb. 28, the parliament decided to set up a committee to inquire into the alleged misdeeds of the president, and on March 21, the committee published a report concluding that Basescu had breached the Constitution.

Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court ruled that the president had not seriously breached the Constitution as to justify his dismissal.

However, the court, with only a consultative role in the matter, left the parliament to make the final decision.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2007)