President Klaus Iohannis said Monday night he had a discussion with Deputy PM, Interior minister Gabriel Oprea regarding the recent accident that killed a policeman, adding that he advised Oprea to step down.
“Today I have invited the Deputy Oprea to a discussion because I wanted to get clarification and explanations. We had this discussion earlier this evening. I advised Mr. Oprea to resign,” said the head of state during a briefing at Cotroceni Palace on Monday.
Iohannis said that Gabriel Oprea advised him to resign due to poor management of the crisis.
“It is strictly a matter of public policy, is much more than a communication problem,” said Iohannis, adding that he hasn’t given Gabriel Oprea a deadline.
Iohannis said he is expecting the results of the investigation in this case.
“I only know the aspects related by Mr. Oprea himself, but the remaining circumstances shouldn’t be disclosed by the intelligence services, but by the prosecutors. As far as I know there is an ongoing investigation and I am waiting for the results,” Iohannis said, adding that he did not give Oprea a deadline.
He rejected Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s statements that he sat for coffee with Gabriel Oprea and had never asked him to leave the current coalition.
Oprea promptly answered the President’s request to step down, saying in a press release that he is not guilty and will not resign over this matter. The deputy premier also accused president Iohannis that the resignation advise is related to his desire to topple the current Government, adding that the criminal investigation is the most important thing at this moment.
“A resignation at this level od responsibility and implicitly, assuming a guilt that doesn’t exist, cannot be either a political quid pro quo or some media tricks. In a rule of law, the law observance is more important than the political games (….) Therefore, as for me, things are clear: I am not guilty and as such I will continue my activity within the Government,” Oprea stated.
About 300 people ask for Oprea’s resignation
About 300 people were protesting outside the government headquarters on Monday evening demanding the resignation or dismissal of Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea after the death of policeman Bogdan Gigina in the motorcade of the dignitary.
The demonstrators say that they went back to the streets after the Sunday’s protest, because they are dissatisfied with the explanations given on Monday by Deputy PM Gabriel Oprea, who allegedly underestimates their intelligence and the explanation would be an insult.
They were chanting “Resignation”, “Dignitaries with no beacon light”, “Shame on you”, “Oprea commits crimes, Ponta supports him”, “Down with Oprea”, “Down with Ponta.”
Read what Oprea stated on Monday about the accident here: http://www.romaniajournal.ro/interior-minister-makes-first-statement-in-gigina-case-i-did-not-see-the-accident-i-chose-to-be-silent-out-of-respect-for-the-police-officers-family/