Strijd om positie Roemeense president sleept zich nog zeker voort tot 12 september (en)

BRUSSELS - The political crisis in Romania is to drag on until 12 September at the least after judges on Thursday (2 August) postponed their decision on the validity of last weekend's referendum.

President Traian Basescu on Sunday announced he had survived a "coup" when turnout of a referendum came in at 46.2 percent - just under the 50 percent threshold.

Eighty seven percent of those who did vote said they want him to go, however.

The referendum was orchestrated by Basescu's political nemesis, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who alleges that the President abused his official powers by installing personal allies in public institutions, such as the Constitutional Court itself.

Ponta-linked polticians filed multiple complaints to judges saying that the Romanian population has shrunk since the last official census.

If their claims are backed up the interior ministry and the National Statistics Institute, the turnout could rise to over 50 percent, pushing Basescu out.

The judges on Thursday said they need more time to examine official papers, according to Romanian news agencies Mediafax and Agerpress.

In the interim, Basescu remains suspended, while a Ponta loyalist, Crin Antonescu, carries out presidential duties.

The affair is being closely watched by Brussels, amid fears that Romania is sliding backwards in terms of democracy and rule of law.

Ponta, following Sunday's results, said he would respect the court's decision, which requires a two-thirds majority of judges on the panel.