The Permanent Delegation of the PNL (National Liberal Party) had a meeting in Cluj Napoca this weekend. Their main concern was to expel some members and warn others. There were also some Liberals who resigned. Aleodor Francu, head of the PM chancellery, decided to do this. Titu Gheorghiof did the same, but he resigned his leadership position only. After a stormy day they paid a visit to the Democrats gathered in the same city. For the sake of TV cameras, they had some drinks together and chatted just like Alliance mates. The two parties' leaders actually wanted to celebrate three years since they had signed the Protocol of D.A. ("Truth and Justice") Alliance. Maybe it was coincidence or not that just one day later Tariceanu criticized Basescu officially for the first time. Turcan and Boureanu were expelled The PNL Permanent Delegation decided last Saturday to expel deputies Raluca Turcan and Cristian Boureanu. The former attended the meeting, unlike the latter. The Central Committee had come up with the idea to expel the two because of their public statements against Liberal decisions. Turcan was nailed to the wall behind shut doors and the Liberals reproached her for having never criticized the PD (Democrat Party) and Traian Basescu. The most vehement enemy was Liberal deputies' leader Crin Antonescu, accompanied by the PNL vice president Puiu Hasotti. And senator Paul Pacuraru shared the attitude. Turcan wouldn't take back her opinions and she claimed the PNL was now in the habit of reaching verdicts without any criteria. After waiting in front of the door for six hours, they invited her in. When leaving she mentioned the PNL was in the habit of using anti-democratic practices and mentioned she wouldn't contest the decision on her. Turcan commented: "Unfortunately, right now there are anti-Liberal practices in the PNL, encouraging the expelling of members. It proves the leaders' double language and demagogy. My opinion is that this conduct is advantageous to a small group who promote their interests and profit of the PNL's power." Deputy Cristian Boureanu opined in his turn that the decision to drive him away was "absurd and against the status." He commented this was the real face of the party, ruled by "the dictatorship of a group of villain interests". He explained: "Calin Popescu Tariceanu and his godson Bogdan Olteanu, together with some more anonymous politicians in their group, have twisted people's votes for the Alliance in 2004, trying to eliminate all those enjoying popular support and without whom the PNL wouldn't have been in power today." Sanction against Patriciu The members of the PNL Committee for Ethics also decided to sanction Dinu Patriciu by public warning because of his finance for the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). (...) Adrian Iorgulescu, head of the above-mentioned committee, commented the businessman risked being expelled from the party in case of sponsoring the PSD once again. (...) Letter to the PNL leaders Dinu Patriciu wrote a letter for the PNL leaders, expressing his opinion that he was the target of "unfair accusations". He emphasized the future would prove they were groundless and he would no longer be "guilty of being a Liberal." (...) In his letter Patriciu also commented the PNL should continue to be "a laboratory of ideas, a group for free and responsible debates." He pointed: "I have never thought of the PNL as of a Leninist party, where members must be speechless when the leaders are speaking." As for the funds his companies had fueled to the PSD, the Liberal businessman commented it had served public interests, but not political preferences. Francu and Gheorghiof resigned Aleodor Francu quitted the PNL, but he also resigned as head of the Romanian PM Chancelary. He said: "I have decided to quit. I don't want to harm the party's image." He claimed he had not been involved in political police activities and he had not been a member of the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service in Romania). He admitted having written only plain "technical information." As for the PNL idea to leave him without political support, he commented: "I am sorry to see young Liberals think like this. They don't know what the ex Securitate meant or if one could oppose them." As for Gheorghiof's resignation as Liberal official, the PNL spokesman Varujan Vosganian explained: "Given his status as political detainee, Mr. Gheorghiof wanted us to consent to his resignation." Tariceanu: Member expelling is not an important issue Yesterday Tariceanu commented that member expelling or warnings such as the one for Dinu Patriciu were no important issues for the Liberals. The President of the PNL explained: "A party's concerns must not focus on minor, unessential issues. I believe a party must prove able to meet citizens' concerns." He claimed in the PNL there prevailed the majority rule and therefore all decisions thus reached had to be obeyed by all members. He emphasized: "Those trying to hide behind the freedom of speech in order to disobey a party's decision are fundamentally wrong." (...)

Razvan GHEORGHE