Iliescu Says Yes to the SDP Invitations

After asking for a written invitation from SDP (the Social Democratic Party) concerning his comeback in the party and him being a SDP candidate on the parliamentary lists, President Ion Iliescu responded, in a written letter, that he accepts the proposals of the governing party.

Yesterday the Chief of the State sent the SDP leader, Adrian Nastase, a letter of response in which he said yes to the proposals of returning in the party and being one of the party’s candidates on the parliamentary lists. "Devoted to moral values and to political principles in which I believed and I still do, I have decided to accept the Extraordinary SDP Congress invitation of rejoining, at the end of my Romanian presidential mandate, the party whose founding member I was", writes Iliescu in the letter addressed to Nastase. The Chief of the State does not say anything about any of the possible jobs he might have in the leading board of SDP, although the Prime Minister’s letter was emphasizing the idea of "taking over the lead of the party at the end of the presidential mandate".

CANDIDACY. Iliescu is more precise when talking about his candidacy on the parliamentary lists of SDP. "I have decided to accept the invitation for a place in the Romanian Senate, as a manifestation of my consideration to the Parliament’s role in the institutional development, in the Romanian state’s modernizing, in the consolidation of the Romanian democracy", explains the Chief of the State. Though in this case, Iliescu will be in the same time President of Romania and a candidate on the lists of a political party, he states that this double status will not be an obstacle for him to end up well his mandate as President. More than that, he sustains that his taking part in the elections is "constitutional and legal".

"Dear Mr. Nastase, therefore I say yes to the letters you have addressed me, due to my belief that we, the political category, have to fulfill a duty towards the future of Romania. We have to have a permanent response to the national interest, to build up the public good and a better life for all the Romanians", justifies Iliescu his decision.

REPROACHES. Among other things, the Chief of the State congratulates Prime Minister Adrian Nastase for being named by the party their candidate for Presidency and is "happy" to see that SDP "understood the meaning of the message sent by the citizens during the local elections". Iliescu specifically wanted to remind Nastase that "the citizens and the members of the party have reproached to some of the leaders the departure from the moral principles of a social-democratic party and from the needs of the many". In addition, insisted on asking for the "continuation of the efforts that are destined to transform SDP in an efficient and responsible political structure".

DECISION

"I have decided to accept the Extraordinary SDP Congress invitation of rejoining, at the end of my Romanian presidential mandate, the party whose founding member I was" - Ion Iliescu, President of Romania