(story to be published in tomorrow’s issue, March 10)
Coalition leaders were to meet yesterday to try and overcome the political crisis triggered by the replacement of Defence minister Victor Babiuc, but the conflict took on considerable proportions as governing partners billed as very serious the scandal unleashed lately between MApN (Defence Ministry) and MAE (Foreign Ministry) led by Victor Babiuc and Petre Roman, a scandal that got to having international effects. The Liberals and the Democrats were to attend yesterday’s meeting from force positions while Victor Babiuc, at the time discussions were to be kick-started, had not resigned from the position of MapN head. On Wednesday, all coalition leaders sharpened their discourse, excepting UDMR (Democrat Alliance of Hungarians in Romania). PNL (Liberal Party), PN?CD (Peasants’ Party) and PD (Democrat Party) on Wednesday evening convened meetings of central leaderships to the end of settling the negotiations mandate they were to go with to the Victoria Palace. PN?CD was to request Premier Mugur Isarescu an analysis related to the “dangerous qualifications” the statement by MApN included, because allegations comprised in the document “are more serious than the obvious tensions between Victor Babiuc and PD,” questioning the authority of institutions and the Government’s credibility, stated Remus Opris, the general secretary of the Peasants’ Party. Should it not be content with the explanations on MAE decisions, PN?CD will set up investigation commissions in this sense, according to a decision by the party’s leaders. The Liberals and the Peasants on Wednesday held a consultation, during which they agreed to support the replacement of Babiuc, provided that PD pledged to vote for the property laws in Parliament, according to the Peasants’ leader Ion Diaconescu. He said that PNL had agreed to replace Babiuc with Sorin Frunzaverde. PNL’s spokesperson, Crin Antonescu, stated that the situation created following the scandal between the two ministries is “extremely serious” and that it should be investigated whether MAE had annulled the visit of a minister without consulting President Constantinescu and the Premier, since this issue impacts on the national interests of Romanians. “This is more important than the Babiuc case,” he underscored. Transports minister Traian Basescu stated that Babiuc “is a common boy who has nobody’s support” and specified that Romania’s interests are “sabotaged” by those who do not clarify the situation of MApN. MAE “did a favour to Romania” by the position it adopted and the position of MApN was “shattered” by those who supported Babiuc, by transferring this conflict abroad. He considered that the spokesperson of MApN, who issued the statement, should be transferred to reserves and sent to the agriculture sector, which is in need of labour forces. PD was to come to yesterday’s meeting with an ultimatum formula: “Which one is more important? The Defence Ministry or the Foreign Affairs Ministry?”, stated PD’s vice-president Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz. He said PD would not leave the coalition, but its MPs would continue their boycott unless the situation was sorted out. The Defence minister on Tuesday accused MAE of having prevented Victor Babiuc from leaving for India, compromising thus a contract for the armament industry, and of having precluded a visit by the Dutch Defence minister. MApN maintained that the Romanian ambassador to London, Sorin Baciu, had launched within the press and the diplomatic environment a piece of information according to which the resignation of Babiuc had been caused by PNL, through Valeriu Stoica, who allegedly “holds compromising information” about the former.