The President of Romania Traian Basescu has managed to split the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). It was confirmed yesterday once with the election of MEPs and the referendum on the uninominal vote system: Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase and Sorin Oprescu wouldn't attend the referendum on the Presidency project, whereas the PSD president Mircea Geoana and his allies stood by the President of Romania. The latter has even managed to split the PSD group in Cluj in sides: Ioan Rus attended the referendum, whereas Ilie Sarbu voted in the election of MEPs only. Yesterday the PSD looked really split in sides and unable to play a powerful party whose members and leaders proved solidarity with each other. Ostentatious opposition Adrian Nastase was the first PSD leader to be categorical yesterday morning when he put it briefly: "I am not voting in Basescu's referendum!" The message expressed by the PSD senator Sorin Oprescu, who attended just the Euro-election, was identical: "I am not voting in the referendum simply because it is clear that everyone wants the uninominal vote system. Not any system, but one to help this nation." The PSD senator Ion Iliescu, formerly a President of Romania, shared the view: "I said I wouldn't vote and I am not voting." He estimated there would be no more than 30% of Romanians to vote yesterday, but he avoided an opinion on the results Mircea Geoana, Ioan Rus and Titus Corlatean supported Presidency The PSD president Mircea Geoana voted both in the Euro-election and the referendum yesterday, telling he was hopeful that his party's score would be a good one. He mentioned he was voting in the referendum too because there was a PSD project at stake. When asked about his party's odds, he answered: "Be careful tonight, for people will be rejoicing in our offices!" (...) Ioan Rus, a leader of the PSD group in Cluj, voted for Traian Basescu's referendum too. He commented: "I voted in both the election of MEPs and in the referendum, although President Traian Basescu turned this electoral campaign into one supporting the Democrat Party. I am still an adept of the idea that any version of a uninominal vote system is better than none." Titus Corlatean, a general secretary of the PSD, the candidate topping the PSD list in the Euro-election, attended both processes yesterday.

Roxana ANDRONIC