WIKILEAKS Romanian journalist, quoted in a US Embassy cable speaking of President Basescu's drinking problems and involvement of Cluj group in 2007 attept to suspend president

In a 2007 cable, classified as confidential, officials of the UE Embassy to Bucharest write about a meeting with Bogdan Chirieac, then chief editor of Romanian daily Gandul. According to the cable, Chirieac claimed that the Presidents problems with alcohol had worsened. In the same cable, American officials note that Chirieac told them that a prominent representative of a Cluj-based group of politicians, Vasile Dancum, was the brains behind the 2007 operation to suspend the President and that media moguls were actively coordinating with leaders of the opposition for the suspension campaign and Dinu Patriciu, a prominent businessman, wished to kneel Basescu.

A long series of Wikileaks documents were published by HotNews.ro on Sunday. Other media in Romania also published cables later yesterday.

In the 2007 cable, American officials write about a meeting with Bogdan Chirieac, whom they describe as TV commentator, editor in chief of daily Gandul and close of Mircea Geoana (PSD Senator).

Chirieac was quoted as saying that president Basescu’s popularity was dropping. He was also quoted as speaking positively about opposition leader Mircea Geoana. And he was quoted as saying that the so-called Cluj group of prominent Social Democratic (PSD) members were those driving the push to suspend the president at the time.

And Chirieac, according to the cable, maintained his opinion that opposition leaders and oligarchs controling media groups were coordinating their activities actively to undermine the popularity of Basescu.

Read the info from the cable on the Romanian version of HotNews.rohere.