PDSR to submit non-confidence vote

The Central Executive Bureau of PDSR (Party of Social Democracy) is to decide today on the opportunity of submitting a non-confidence vote against the Romanian Government after, at the end of last week, the party’s prime vice-president Adrian Nastase had announced that his faction would make such a move.

According to Nastase, PDSR will demand that, over the period that is left until general elections, the Government should be stripped of its usual attributions, particularly within the domain of privatisation and should only become a manager of “current problems.”

The statement issued by the PDSR leader was qualified by Prime Minister Mugur Isarescu, by PD (Democrat Party) and PNL (Liberal Party) as an electoral one.

During an electoral tour he made in Constanta and Tulcea, Nastase stated that the non-confidence vote was necessary considering the “destruction of the banking system,” privatisations completed recently and privatisations the Government intends to seal, as for instance in the case of Sidex and Oltchim companies.

The PDSR leader also said that 200 million dollars were allocated for the annulment of Banca Agricola (Agricultural Bank) debts and then the bank will probably be sold for a “ridiculous sum.”

“These desperate moves made by some groups that lead Mugur Isarescu or are led by Isarescu have brought the country in an intolerable situation,” Nastase said.

He also stated that some of the colleagues of State Ownership Fund chairman Radu Sarbu already have passports for leaving the country, while businessmen close to the government have also established residence abroad, planning to leave with the money they accumulated during this period.

Mugur Isarescu on Saturday said the non-confidence vote had an electoral flavour and that the privatisation process could not be stopped.