Tariceanu Again Changed His Mind: He Will Not Resign Office

PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu surprised once more the political class with changing - yet again - his mind about leaving office. This time he said he will not resign, boarded a chopper to Bacau county and visited the flood hit region, to get back to Bucharest on Wednesday afternoon and present the Parliament a statement for assuming political responsibility.

PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu surprised once more the political class with changing - yet again - his mind about leaving office. This time he said he will not resign, boarded a chopper to Bacau county and visited the flood hit region, to get back to Bucharest on Wednesday afternoon and present the Parliament a statement for assuming political responsibility.

This move gives the opposition the legal option to file a no-confidence motion in three days time. If passed, the motion could bring down the government and open the way to early elections. Though statements and feelings were mixed, it seemd unlikely for the opposition to make such a move, hence Tariceanu would have his mandate reinforced.

Parliamentarians were hastily called in to hear the political statement Tariceanu made. It addressed three issues: to rebuild the flood-hit areas, to marshall Romania’s integration into the European Union and to reform the judiciary.

The House Speaker, Adrian Nastase, salso top leader of the Social Democrat Party, in oppositiont explained that if no no-confidence motion was filed the political statement was deemed implicitly adopted. SDP sources stated the party had no intention in filing such a motion unless „the PM’s statement will make serious accusations against us."

House Secretary, Titu Gheorghiof, of the ruling National Liberal Party, thought there were legal grounds hampering attempts to file a no-confidence motion, quoting a legal provision that stated a new no-confidence motion may not be filed if another one had been rejected during the same parliamentary session. Gheroghiof, however, made a partial reading of the legal provision, which allows an exception to this rule, if the Government engages its political responsibility via a program, political statetment or piece of legislation it wants to pass through parliament.

Ministers of the Democrat Party also had various oppinions regarding Tariceanu’s move.

Vasile Blaga, the minister for interior, thought Tariceanu was not acting within the Constituional boundaries. „His decision must have been taken during a government session," Blaga said. Monica Macovei, the minister of justice, did not want to comment; deputy Prime-Minister Marko Bela said Tariceanu asked his opinion, while minister Bogdan Olteanu said Tariceanu’s political statement was circulated among all members of the cabinet.

After telling his cabinet members that he will no longer resign, Tariceanu flew Tuesday evening to Bacau county, and stayed over night in one of the locals’ home. Tariceanu stated while in Bacau that presenting his political statement in front of the parliament would be „a good opportunity to check if this Executive has the majority it needs. If the majority is still there it means we could go ahead with the job at hand. If not, the Government will be dismissed and the road to early elections would be open," stated Tariceanu.

Simion Alboaie, the villiger of Agas welcoming Tariceanu into his home, found out the PM was to stay over night in his home only one hour ahead of the PM’s arrival.

„I made the bed and prepared dinner, waiting for his arrival. We do not have electric light, so we talked over a candle light and I explained him what I thought were the causes for the massive floods. I told him he had to deal with the root causes of it, if it is for Romania to stop having such events," Alboaie said. He also said Tariceanu asked for some pills for a headache he had, shaved in the morning using his own utensils and had honey and blackbarries for breakfast.