Romania's Parliament adopted on Wednesday a non-binding political statement calling for the resignation of President Traian Basescu, in the wake of a public scandal in which Basescu's brother is accused of involvement in acts of corruption.

MPs belonging to most of the governing coalition parties and connected groups voted in favor of the statement. 344 votes were cast in favor of the statement, with 17 abstentions and no vote against it. 236 MPs, mostly from opposition parties, did not attend the parliament session.

The statement says that given the serious prejudice the involvement of the president's brother in acts of corruption has brought upon the Presidency, President Traian Basescu is no longer entitled to provide the prestige, independence and legitimacy of his position.

• A series of recordings in which Basescu's brother, Mircea Basescu, appears in the company of members of a sentenced underworld boss, Sandu "Bercea Mondial" Anghel, talking about money apparently due to be used to lower Sandu Anghel's sentence, were broadcast last week, sparking a huge scandal. President Basescu has said that if forced to choose between the independence of justice - which he championed during his ten years in office - and the natural reflex of defending his brother, he would choose the independence of justice.