May 19 (Reuters) - Romanians will vote in a referendum on Saturday on whether to impeach President Traian Basescu who was suspended by parliament last month on charges of abuse of power.

Political wrangling led to the suspension of Basescu and forced the May 19 referendum which was required under Romanian law as a follow-up to the parliamentary vote.

Here are some other leaders who have faced impeachment:

Aug 1974 - U.S. President Richard Nixon resigns rather than face impeachment for his role in the cover-up of the break-in at Democrat party headquarters in the Watergate office complex.

Dec 1992 - Brazil's suspended president, Fernando Collor de Mello, resigns minutes after the Senate opened an impeachment trial that could have resulted in him being removed from office on corruption charges. He was later cleared in court.

Dec 1998 - The House of Representatives impeaches U.S. President Bill Clinton, setting the stage for only the second Senate trial in American history to determine if a president should be removed from office. Clinton survives the trial.

March 1999 - Paraguay's President Raul Cubas is impeached by Congress for freeing a convicted coup leader and is blamed for the killing of his vice president, Luis Maria Argana. He resigns before Congress can remove him from office.

May 1999 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin escapes impeachment on five charges of misrule after his opponents fail to muster enough votes to start proceedings.

Dec 2000 - Philippine President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial on corruption charges begins. The allegations spark a popular revolt in Jan. 2001 that forces him out of office. A verdict could come later in 2007. He is charged with amassing $80 million from state coffers and bribes while in power.

Feb 2003 - Paraguay's Senate votes not to remove President Luis Gonzalez Macchi from office, finding him not guilty of corruption charges.

March 2004 - The South Korean National Assembly votes to unseat President Roh Moo-hyun for violating an election law, economic mismanagement and corruption among aides. His powers were suspended, but restored two months later after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Aug 2006 - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo comfortably beat an impeachment vote. Arroyo's opponents accused her of election fraud, corruption and human rights abuses. Arroyo, due to serve until 2010, survived a previous bid to remove her in 2005.

May 2007 - Romanian ruling and opposition parties accuse President Traian of being power-hungry and manipulative, as well as corrupt and involved in illicit secret police activity. In April, parliament removed him from office for 30 days pending the impeachment referendum in which Romanians are to respond to the question: "Do you agree with the dismissal of president Traian Basescu?"

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