The leaderships of the National Liberal Party-PNL and of the Democratic Party-PD reached similar decisions on the idea of a referendum on the introduction of uninominal vote-based elections and on the suspension of the President in separate talks on Monday.

The two groups forming the core of the governing coalition, who have been involved in a terrible political struggle for months, thus reached a rare point of convergence on issues of immediate importance for current political events in Bucharest.

Liberal officials admitted today they were not enthusiastic about the organization of a referendum on an uninominal vote, which would let votes elect their representatives on personal, not group or list-based criteria. But they recognized the right of President Traian Basescu of consulting the population on such an issue.

Basescu met representatives of the civil society for consultations on the issue on Monday.

PNL vicepresident Teodor Melescanu said his party supported the idea of an uninominal vote but did not understande the need of such a referendum as long as there were no less than 14 bills in this regard.

And PD leader Emil Boc said his party would support the uninominal vote but said a referendum was necessary to “provide the necessary, final impetus” to the political class.