OCTOBER 13TH, UNLUCKY DAY FOR THE BOC GOVERNMENT? Liberals and social-democrats, convinced that the motion of no-confidence will be successful

Opposition parties PSD and PNL yesterday expressed their conviction that the motion of no-confidence that they introduced against the so-called Boc 2 Government which will be put up for voting on Tuesday, October 13th, has high chances of success.

During yesterday"s session of the joint houses of the Parliament, the members of the parliament decided that the no-confidence motion called "11 against the Government" would be read today before the plenary parliament meeting, with the vote scheduled for Tuesday, October 13th.

At the same time, members of the parliament also decided that on October 14th, in case the government is not overthrown, they would propose a date for PM Emil Boc to come before the Parliament and take responsibility for the Pensions Law.

The chairman of the PSD, Mircea Geoană, yesterday said that "October 13th will be the day luck turns, because the odds are in favour of the vote of no-confidence going through and the illegitimate Government going away".

Mircea Geoană said that ever since the government took responsibility for the laws it passed and the break-up of the coalition, Romania is in agony, which is taking a heavy toll on its citizens.

"Instead of tackling the unemployment problem, president Traian Băsescu gave up on fighting the economic crisis, coming out with a public statement that the current government won"t and shouldn"t fight the crisis, which left the business environment dumbfounded", the social-democrat chairman said.

According to him, the intention to hike VAT in 2010 and taking responsibility for the Law on Pensions serves to distract PD-l from the "rumbling in the streets".

"Yes, a law on pensions was needed, but taking responsibility for a law that was passed without consulting with the social partners, which among other things proposes raising the retirement age to 65 for women is unconceivable", Geoană concluded.

• Eugen Nicolăescu, PNL: "I am convinced that the Government will fall following this vote of no-confidence"

The vice-president of the Liberals, Eugen Nicolăescu, said the fate of the government after the motion of no-confidence is uncertain. He says that the fact the Panel of Chairmen postponed the vote on the motion of no-confidence until after the Government takes responsibility for the Law on pensions speaks volumes.

"The government is abusing its position in taking responsibility for the laws and I am convinced that the Government will not outlast this vote of no-confidence", Nicolăescu said.

He said that the Government taking responsibility for the law on pensions before the vote of no-confidence is absurd.