Augustin Zegrean, chief judge at the Court, said the referendum was correctly organized but failed to meet the required quorum of more than 50% of eligible voters.
People close to the matter said the Court decision was made with six to three votes. The Court’s decision on the referendum outcome required a two-thirds majority to be adopted, which means six out of the Court’s nine judges had to agree on whether to validate or invalidate the referendum.
The Parliament suspended Basescu in a decision backed by Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s Social Liberal Union in July. In the July 29 referendum, 88% of those who cast ballots voted to impeach Basescu, but voter turnout stood at only 46%, and the referendum law states a turnout of at least 50% is necessary for the ballot to be validated.
Under pressure from the Government, which claimed the required turnout threshold may have been reached if data from the 2011 population census were used and voter lists had been revised to write off people who have died or moved abroad, the Constitutional Court asked to see registered voter lists before making its decision.