The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) reform seems to have reached the climax yesterday, when Marian Vanghelie was elected interim executive president of the PSD organization in Bucharest. He is to be on the right of leader Sorin Oprescu and chair meetings together with diplomat Geoana, refined Ioan Rus and versatile Ion Iliescu. The picture is rather surrealist. It doesn't seem to come up with real solutions to the main problems if the PSD. The amazing ascent of this half-illiterate politician is actually token of the PSD leaders' gratitude for Vanghelie's help to sack Dan Ioan Popescu and Adrian Nastase. He enjoys so much appreciation that all the centers of powers within the PSD have expressed support or him. Paradoxically, all these political leaders seem to forget about the flaws of the newly elected interim president of Bucharest Social-Democrats. In order to blur such an embarrassing situation, Geoana insinuated the new rulers of the PSD organization in Bucharest would be elected during the National Conference due in May. As for older criminal records on Vanghelie, party leaders avoided the issue. But such guilty silence doesn't settle things. The new move is obviously harming the image of the party and its leaders. Political analysts agree the PSD can't stop from falling.

Mihai TOADER