The Romanian Orthodox Church is interested in the local administration, but it is also taking one step closer to the Parliament. His Holiness Daniel, a Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, has consented to the proposal that Orthodox priests should become observers in the Parliament of Romania. Priests are also allowed to run as candidates in this year's local elections for posts such as a district or local councilors. The Holy Synod decided in March 6 that priests might run as independent candidates, but there was kept the 2004 interdiction of priests' involvement in politics, according to Hotnews. In the early February the Democrat-Liberal deputy Ioan Olteanu subscribed a law draft consisting in a single article and concerning the representation of religious cults in the Parliament. He invoked the representations other Orthodox Churches had in Brussels institutions. This initiative is becoming fact in an ambiguous way that settles only the presence of 2 permanent representatives of the Orthodox Church in the Parliament of Romania. In the letter the law author received from Patriarch Daniel in February 8, there is mentioned: "We trust this legislative proposal is meant to enrich the transparent, constructive collaboration between the Orthodox Church and the Parliament of Romania." And he added: "We believe this initiative is welcome." (...) (Z.O.)