February 4 (SeeNews) - Some 47.4% of Romanians would vote for the governing centre-right National Liberal Party, PNL, if parliamentary elections were held now, a new poll shows.
Some 20.6% would support the opposition left-wing Social Democrat Party, PSD, while 12.4% would vote for the centre-right Union Save Romania (USR) party, according to the results of a poll conducted by the Institute of Marketing, Analysis and Polling (IMAS) and commissioned by local radio station Europa FM, released on Monday.
The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, UDMR, would get 4.7%, while ex prime minister Victor Ponta's Pro Romania party would collect 3.8% of votes.
The survey was conducted between January 13 and 31. The sample consisted of 1,007 respondents, eligible to vote. The margin of error does not exceed 3.1%.
Romania is scheduled to hold regular parliamentary elections in March 2021.
However, in January, prime minister Ludovic Orban said that together with president Klaus Iohannis he will aim to trigger an early general election by the middle of this year. He did not specify how he will try to achieve this objective.
On Thursday, PSD submitted a censure motion against the government for proposed changes to the electoral legislation which PSD views as undemocratic. The censure motion was signed by 208 MPs- from PSD and UDMR.
In order to pass, the motion needs to be backed by 233 MPs.
The motion will be voted in parliament on February 5, according to data posted on the lower chamber website.
On Wednesday, Orban's cabinet assumed responsibility before the parliament for a bill which stipulates that local election be held in two rounds instead of only one - a move highly criticised by PSD. On December 23, the government proceeded in the same way with the budget bill in order to ensure its fast-track approval.
Entitled, "PNL/Orban government - the privatisation of Romanian democracy", the censure motion says that the government must urgently be dismissed for changing the electoral system without prior consultation or debate.
The Orban cabinet was voted into office in early November after the Social-Democrat government led by Viorica Dancila lost a vote of confidence.