Hands and trick

Adriean Videanu, the Democrat mayor of Bucharest, is a failure. Bucharest is a real pell mell. The countdown left till elections is fatal to him. He isn't standing the smallest chance to prove by March 2008 that he has accomplished his missions. Traian Basescu, his guru, the man who helped him take over the City Hall and bring his male and female advisers and businessmen along, is even worse now, because he is the one in fact responsible for it. Videanu's tremendous failure can cost Basescu his second mandate as President. It would also harm the Democrat Party and the way to parliamentary elections. But to kick Videanu out cynically, which they were intending to do about a fortnight ago, is no solution, for Basescu will be blamed for it anyway. Therefore the only scenario available is a trick of the Basescu kind.
The topper has recently reached the table and the head of state has taken the bunny out of it. He has actually produced a SF idea: mess is reigning over Bucharest not because the mayor is an unskilled yesman fond of fraud, but because the system isn't good. This is how Basescu has caught two bunnies at a time. While trying to save Videanu's honor, he has accounted for his own lack of skill proved at the time when he was a general mayor of Bucharest. And therefore the main state official in charge of protecting the law has offended the law, more exactly the normative document settling Bucharest affairs (structure of districts, multiple authorities and so on), elaborated about 80 years ago. He has claimed no one can do real work here because there are too many authorities disturbing each other. And according to the boss in Cotroceni Palace, the solution would be one single man to hold all the administrative power. In such case, the great strategist would have power to do and undo things and thus rebuild Bucharest to make our dreams come true.
But if we take a closer look, the bunny taken out of the topper turns into a dragon. Not even Ceausescu, when giving directions about everything, did dare think about doing away with the districts of Bucharest. They anyway exist in the capital city of the presidential republic of France, whose Constitution Basescu has been struggling to imitate. But Paris is, was and will be divided in districts. The city authorities there and the main politicians have concluded it can be no other way. And, thank God, the City of Lights has survived. It has survived without mayors like Crin Halaicu, Victor Ciorbea, Viorel Lis, Traian Basescu or Adriean Videanu.
It is so puzzling to realize out of the blue that Bucharest can't be ruled as long as it is divided into districts, after Basescu was a mayor twice and although he is in power a third time, via his yesman. It is puzzling that he should be blaming the law. Maybe in his attempt to save some of his own honour and some of the Democrat Party's honour he will ask for some referendum on the issue.
Given these, how will the uninominal electoral campaign for the City Hall of the most important Romanian city take place ? Will it open by a denial of the system ? Or has it opened already ? Has the President of all Romanians already started his campaign for Bucharest by any chance, acting like an anti-system politician ? If so, he has committed hands. He has touched the ball with the hands, trying to fool both the arbitrator and the spectators and sneak the ball into the goal. But I'm afraid this isn't working any more. Videanu has mentioned it a lot of times that only when his mandate as general mayor of Bucharest is over the others may reach conclusions. He has specified his mandate is a "4-year one". These 4 years will soon be over. And what will there be left ? Another failure of Basescu's, one he can no longer blame on others. This works in case we ignore the fact that the President's man is a criminal, but one proved so only by the press so far. And there is no presumption of innocence.

Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Joi 6 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english