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Coalition members met on Monday evening and decided not to quit plan to rapidly modify the public administration law so that to revoke district council presidents from PSD (the Social-Democrat Party) where possible. This decision is against what President Traian Basescu said in Saturday's reunion in Poiana Brasov: that such measure was inappropriate before the end of mandate. Interior Minister Vasile Blaga who attended the reunion shared the President's view and reiterated it yesterday: district council presidents would be replaced in 2008. Coalition members decided to change the law on local public administration either by emergency ordinance or by Senate vote. After the meeting of the Coalition's Coordination Council Bogdan Olteanu, Minister in charge of relations with the Parliament, stated: "The law is going to be modified either by emergency ordinance or by Senate final vote on the project already there." (...)

Tariceanu surprised

Before the Coalition members' reunion on Monday evening, the PNL (the National Liberal Party) Executive Committee talked to PNL president Calin Popescu Tariceanu on the Romanian president's statement about the revocation of district council presidents. They agreed to continue plea for modification. Mediafax cites party sources claiming that most Liberal leaders expressed disagreement with President Basescu's opinion. After the reunion Tariceanu wouldn't tell the press about their talks. But he assured the Coalition Protocol signed in August would be obeyed. As for the replacing of district council presidents, Tariceanu's answer was sharp: "We have already decided on this."

Liberals get most advantages

But the above-mentioned sources claim that in the meeting of the PNL Executive Committee the Liberal president said he was against the revocation of Social-Democrat presidents of district councils in 2008 only. They claim Tariceanu expressed surprise at Basescu's statement in Poiana Brasov. Tariceanu also informed his Liberal colleagues that during Monday's government meeting he talked to Basescu on the phone about the modification of local administration legislation and the latest evolution of the avian flu. (...) Sources claim the Liberals are more interested than the Democrats in the revocation of district council presidents, because PNL would get 8 of the 12 positions to be available after such likely procedure, whereas the Democrats would get only 4. (A.H.)

Conservatives share the President's view

Conservatives' representatives are for the replacing of district council presidents by the time their mandates are up, in 2008. Therefore they share President Basescu's view. Conservative spokesman Bogdan Ciuca said: "As a party, the attitude we expressed this spring is the same: replacing should occur at the end of mandate. The Conservative Party is neither an enemy nor a friend of Mr. Basescu's. It is the very topics that call for a certain attitude, either common or different." (V.D.)

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