UPDATE President proposes a neutral person or an opposition member for the Interior Ministry

UPDATE PSD and PNL leaders were summed by Romania’s incumbent president Traian Basescu at Cotroceni for talks on the political crises. PSD leader Mircea Geoana declared that the social-democratic ministers will quit the Government if Traian Basescu will sign the PM’s proposal of dismissing Dan Nica.

• President Traian Basescu proposed a „neutral person” or a representative of the opposition for the Interior Ministry. Basescu said that he used the same approach when naming the heads for SIE and SRI, two Romanian intelligence services.

• Basescu informed Boc and Geoana that they have discredited the Interior Ministry’s activity and asked the two parties to not add a political crisis to the economic one.

• Romania’s PM Emil Boc announced on Tuesday that the Social-Democratic Party (PSD) may name the Interior minister by 1 p.m. At this point, Boc will submit the request to dismiss the Interior minister to the state’s president Traian Basescu.

Emil Boc informed the coalition members yesterday of his intent to dismiss the current Interior minister Dan Nica (PSD). According to the governing protocol, the ministry belongs to PSD. Boc said he received no response from PSD by 11 a.m. According to Boc, PDL extended the deadline so as to eliminate speculations according to which PDL want to commit election fraud by changing the Interior minister.

The social-democrats announced yesterday that their nomination is Dan Nica, but the Romanian Prime-Minister would not give up this dismissal. PSD ministers and party leaders are currently meeting in the Senate, half an hour after the initial ultimatum expired, news channels broadcast. PSD decided to continue to support Nica and threatened to break the coalition if the minister is sacked.

PSD leader Mircea Geoana said that Boc proposed for Nica to be replaced by Vasile Blaga (PDL), the current Development minister, claiming that this detail would underline Traian Basescu’s desperation. Geoana accused incumbent President Traian Basescu of „dictating” the PM to sack Dan Nica, therefore trying to steal the presidential elections by designating a PDL minister to lead the Interior ministry.