Romania lawmakers vote for scrapping controversial corruption bill
Romania’s lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a government order to withdraw a graft bill which decriminalizes several corruption offenses.
On Tuesday, the lower house endorsed the order with no votes against it and three abstentions.
The upper house of parliament, the senate, approved the withdrawal of the decree last week after it triggered international condemnation and mass protests unprecedented since the fall of communism in 1989.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu had quietly approved the bill on January 31.
Opponents argued that the bill would have immunized dozens of public officials from prosecution and would have undermined the ongoing campaign to fight high-level corruption in the country.
The decree was repealed following mass demonstrations and the resignation of the main architect of the bill, Justice Minister Florin Iordache.
President Klaus Iohannis, a former leader of the center-right opposition, has strongly condemned the prime minister’s graft bill and set out a plan to hold a referendum over anti-corruption reforms.
Last week, the parliament unanimously endorsed the president’s new referendum plan.
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