Sorin Oprescu, the independent candidate wishing to be elected a general mayor of Bucharest next Sunday, claimed, but showed no proof that his adversary, the Democrat-Liberal Vasile Blaga, together with the Social-Democrat Miron Mitrea, plotted against him straight by negotiations. Doctor Sorin Oprescu accused that the two politicians had used a napkin in a restaurant to draw those pieces of Bucharest each of them was to get. He didn't mention the restaurant where it had occurred. Both Vasile Blaga and Miron Mitrea denied having had such a meeting, calling the information "lie" or "poisoning". The alleged encounter of the two leaders from the PD-L (Democrat-Liberal Party) and the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) is now used by Sorin Oprescu in his attempt to prove that he is not the candidate of Ion Iliescu's party, that he has got nothing to do with political plots and even that the PSD is stealthily plotting against him. The way the doctor released the information, giving no details and not even the name of the restaurant housing the alleged encounter, seems to come from electoral manipulation guidebooks. These accusations voiced by the ex PSD member have thus set the mood for the last week of electoral campaign before the second tour of the local elections. The previous week it was Vasile Blaga who set the mood by reproaching his opponent for his complicity with Ion Iliescu. Therefore in Sorin Oprescu's view, the coordinator of the PSD campaign and the PD-L candidate "made a kind of Yalta deal on a napkin". He argued: "They negotiated on Sorin OPrescu's fate, some say. Unfortunately, they didn't negotiate on my possible failure, but on the defeat of the Bucharest inhabitants' will." According to the doctor, Vasile Blaga and Miron Mitrea negotiated on about 150,000 votes from the PSD and another 150,000 from the PD-L. He accused the two of leaving "any integrity" aside in order to pursue petty personal interests, given their thirst for public positions. He was ironical at his opponent's campaign, describing the latter candidate's "map of solutions for Bucharest" as "the map of solutions by Blaga and Mitrea". He opined the PD-L candidate was lying to his own electors because of such a secret encounter. Doctor Sorin Oprescu concluded: "Vasile Blaga is Adriean Videanu and vice versa. This couple has got Miron Mitrea for support. And Emil Boc is being himself. He is either being used and he doesn't know it or he knows it and therefore he doesn't deserve my mercy." He urged the Bucharest electorate to go voting next Sunday to prevent this "corrupt approach to politics" and not to lose the city. He concluded while the supporters were cheering: "If you leave Bucharest for one day, you will lose Bucharest. Blaga and Mitrea decided on things on a napkin while in a restaurant. As for me, I am negotiating with nobody. Come voting on Sunday so that we can tear the napkin of Mitrea and Blaga."

Raluca PAPADOPOL