What the newspapers say: April 17, 2008

All Romanian newspapers on Thursday cover political debates as local elections are getting closer. Social Democrats finally chose their political message while closing a deal containing a clause of non-betrayal with the small but still influential Conservative Party. More in the news, Romania’s Constitutional Court gave green light to a Democrat Liberals plea on the law on the wealth of elected officials.

As promised, Romanian main opposition group, the Social Democrats finally joined the political campaign with a candidate for Bucharest Mayor and a political message that rivals Democrat Liberals, Gandul reads. The newspaper says that after weeks of tests on focus groups and market research, Social Democrats (PSD) came up with their core political message: Better for more!

PSD leaders talk about a wave of change that will sweep out Romanian President’s party, Democrat Liberals (PDL). Some 4,000 party members cheered their leaders and their message of change on Wednesday.

Cristian Diaconescu was officially endorsed as the party’s candidate for Bucharest Mayor and he promised his supporters to win the elections. Moreover, he put forward the idea that he plans to change the face of the capital city.

On the same issue, Evenimentul Zilei reads about a protocol signed by Social Democrats and the Conservatives (PC). The former pushed for an „anti-betrayal” clause: namely, none of the two parties can govern without the other, as it happened on 2004.

PSD head Mircea Geoana declared that the measure was just a guarantee that after elections the two parties would not be tempted to betray the signed protocol. Moreover, the contract rules that media institutions owned by the family of PC leader Dan Voiculescu, which include a major TV station and a popular newspaper, would be at the disposal of the alliance.

The alliance will be legally registered today under the name of PSD+PC Alliance while a council of presidents will manage it in weekly meetings. Moreover, another management team will be in charge of dealing with the alliance, namely a Permanent Delegation of 7 representatives from each party.

Last but not least, Democrat Liberals MPs received green light in amending a law aimed at keeping the wealth of elected officials in check, Cotidianul informs. Some 71 deputies signaled the Constitutional Court on the illegality of the law’s provisions, which among others say that while wealth proven to be illegally accumulated and wealth that cannot be explained can be confiscated. According to the said MPs, wealth that cannot be explained but is not proven illegal in court should not be confiscated.