People protest in Bucharest, capital of Romania, Feb. 5, 2017. The Romanian government on Sunday annulled the emergency ordinance on the modification of the Criminal Code, announced the government in a press release. Meanwhile, protests are still going on in the capital of Bucharest. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)
BUCHAREST, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Romanian government on Sunday annulled the emergency ordinance on the modification of the Criminal Code, announced the government in a press release. Meanwhile, protests are still going on in the capital of Bucharest.
The cabinet gathered at a special meeting in the afternoon and adopted an emergency ordinance for the abrogation of the emergency ordinance, passed on January 31, on the modification of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code.
The move was almost procedural, as the prime minister late Saturday announced his decision of abrogation.
"All the arguments we had in supporting the ordinance were not very well communicated ... A lot of confusion was created. And very many distortions that are not related to what was adopted in the end," he explained when announcing his decision.
The prime minister said that he would soon initiate a consultation with other parties and send to the Parliament a draft law on amending Criminal Code.
The emergency ordinance, which has redefined and partially decriminalized abuse of office offenses, triggered huge protests in Romania over the past several days.
The opposition and protesters complained that the changes would likely prevent some politicians charged with crimes from being punished.
As people are still protesting on Sunday in front of the government headquarters, local analysts wonder whether the demonstrations across the country would come to an end after the government's concession, or the protesters would request the prime minister or even all the cabinet to step down.
