President Klaus Iohannis’ call on Wednesday to the ruling coalition to abandon the toxic amendments to the laws of justice and the criminal codes has had no echo in the Social-Democratic Party. PSD Secretary General Codrin Ştefănescu says the party will go on and will eventually deal with amnesty and pardon.
“We will continue to amend the laws, we will amend them and pass everything through the Parliament, we will continue so that those responsible be sanctioned by the law, and finally we will deal with amnesty and pardon. With or without the will of PNL, Orban, USR and Tomac. (…) We have assumed our struggle for justice and for the bad things these villains have done to the whole Romanian people,” Stefanescu said for Romania TV private broadcaster, mentioning the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) involvement in justice.
The PSD leader commented that his party is “the most affected” and was “hunted from the bottom up”. “85% of county leadership and national leadership are under investigation one way or another. There are 1,183 mayors, deputy mayors and county and municipal councilors under a form of investigation, starting with abuse of service, ANI, DNA, etc.,” he said.
On the other hand, Digi 24 TV private broadcaster reports that PSD is ready to issue an emergency ordinance on amnesty and pardon, the decision is to be mad on the opportune moment. The sources say January 2019 could be the right time, when Romania takes over the EU Council presidency. The Emergency ordinance is to be assumed by PSD, the sources say, adding that another opportune moment could be sometime in December.
Digi24.ro reported on Tuesday that PSD leader Liviu Dragnea has requested Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to find a solution for amnesty and pardon by the end of the year, or else a solution would be found by the party Executive Committee.
Reportedly, Dragnea blames former Vice-Premier Paul Stanescu for being the main opponent of amnesty and pardon.
The information came following the statement made on Monday by the PSD Chairman, who said he is “absolutely convinced there will be no emergency ordinance on amnesty on December 1.”
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has had a similar position.
Liviu Dragnea received one year suspended sentence, final ruling, in the ‘Referendum’ file and a 3 and a half years imprisonment sentence, in the forst court, in the file of fake employment to the Teleorman Child Protection institution.