Aristotel Cancescu, president of the District Council in Brasov, seems determined to become part of the legendary sale of Bran Castle as a 'vampire' sucking public funds. By overpricing the world famous castle to 60 million Euro, Cancescu wants to push the Romanian Ministry of Culture to give up the preemption right three years before the evaluation is completed by a team of experts assigned by the above-mentioned ministry and also by Dominic Habsburg, owner of the castle. Instead of being careful with public funds, Cancescu the money vampire is behaving like the rabbit of Dominic Habsburg, aimed at raising the price, just as ZIUA reported. The plan was taken up yesterday, when the District Council members voted for a 5-member committee to open negotiations with an Austrian bank and the heirs so that the castle will be purchased. (...) For and against buying the castle at any costs The local representatives of the PNL (National Liberal Party) and the UDMR (Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania) want the District Council of Brasov to buy the castle "at any costs", whereas the Democrats and the Social-Democrats want an analysis of the local community's real means to buy for at a normal price. Nicolae Tucunel, leader of local Social Democrats, comments: "We are not against buying the castle. But we want to see whether it can indeed be achieved or not. Of course we want this destination to remain a property of the Brasov community. But we mustn't hurry, because this is the greatest acquisition the District Council has confronted and is now to decide on it." No official response from the Ministry of Culture Andrei Gaitanaru, adviser of the Romanian culture minister, tells ZIUA that ministry officials and Mr. Cancescu made clear the preemption right on the Bran Castle. He mentions that, institutionally speaking, communication is very good. Still the Ministry of Culture has received no official letter asking a certain price for the castle. As for the new local committee to proceed to negotiations, ministry officials have got no comments. The Romanian culture minister Adrian Iorgulescu announced last Monday that the ministry would give up the preemption right if Dominic Habsburg's lawyers insisted with the 60 million Euro offer. He even warned that in case of selling the castle to party different than the Ministry, Dominic Habsburg would only have "bare walls" for sale. Dan Mircea CIPARIU