Romanian President: It is impossible it should have come from me

Yesterday the President of Romania Traian Basescu demanded PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu to urgently appoint a competent person to head the Ministry of Agriculture and he warned the PM publicly that the dismemberment of the DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department) would lead to the application of the safeguard clause on Romanian Justice. The government denied such intention at once. The President also announced that he had just signed the decree to suspend agriculture minister Decebal Traian Remes.
President Basescu warned: "It is essential that neither the Romanians nor the authorities in Brussels should take the PM for a politician deadlocking Justice. I am warning him publicly that a measure such as the dismemberment of the DNA may lead to the activation of the safeguard clause on Justice". He mentioned he was expressing such warning because of information claiming the government was intending to do it by means of an emergency ordinance. The President added: "The government is certainly taking efforts to protect present ministers under suspicion". But he apologized, in case the information was not true.
"The President has got no reason for such attitude and his response to the press shows how democratic he is. Such a thing couldn't have happened in a civilized state and I think civil society must react strongly. He is actually sending an undemocratic message to his own electorate, probably also because after the scandal with the reporter from Antena 1 channel his popularity has been growing. After the referendum he has shown a certain nervousness because of failing to capitalize his popularity and overthrow the government. Although not aggressed, he is aggressive, which is impossible to understand. Basescu reiterates offenses against the press, although he enjoyed press support. Things were calm around him that moment and he had no reason to get irritated".
Cozmin Gusa, a leader of the National Initiative Party, commented yesterday: "The government is plotting something very serious these days: an emergency ordinance to pass next week and stipulate the unification of the activities performed by the DNA, the Department to Prevent Organized Criminality and Terrorism and the General Information Department in the Ministry of Defense into one single department, to be headed by someone close to the Liberal government, at present an adviser of the interior minister Cristian David".
Camelia Spataru, a spokeswoman for the Romanian government, announced at once that the government had no intention to dismember the DNA, like the President was claiming. She mentioned the government had already denied all press rumor on a "so-called emergency ordinance to dismember the DNA before the President's statement yesterday". The spokeswoman just added: "PM Tariceanu is accepting Traian Basescu's apologizes for releasing untrue information. The sources misinformed him, unfortunately".

Anca Hriban
Ziua friday 12 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english