UDMR chairman Kelemen Hunor is skeptical about the PSD’s plans to issue an emergency ordinance on amnesty and pardon and says that at this point any discussion on this issue should stop.
“Pardon is part of the criminal policy of each state, each one decides to adopt it or not. It decides which offenses can be pardoned and which ones cannot. (…) The problem is not the amnesty itself, but whether it can be discussed rationally, transparently, in order to reach a solution to be tolerated by the Romanian society. I’ve said that this is not possible now. Maybe after a year or two,” Kelemen Hunor said in an interview for ‘Adevărul’ newspaper.
The UDMR leader also says that any ‘light’ formula for pardon and amnesty would lead to division into society. “At this point, hatred and division in Romanian society are so huge that, with such a discussion, it is going to be even worse. They say, we have a problem with the secret protocols. I agree that we have a problem, it is a big one (…) I do not agree at this moment to introduce a topic that will divide the society even worse,” the IDMR leader said.
In this context he mentioned the moment when former president Ion Iliescu pardoned the miner’s leader, Miron Cozma, reminding that at the time things turned worse and this should be remembered.
Asked if he would prefer a parliamentary debate regarding amnesty and pardon, the UDMR leader has excluded this option too. “I repeat, at this moment, any debate on amnesty and pardon is wrong. A rational discussion is not in hand. Any discussion on amnesty and pardon should be stopped,” he added.
The Opposition does not want to govern
Hunor also said that he has reached the conclusion that the Opposition does not want to govern, the opposition parties that have signed the censure motion are competing with each other.
“Considering the signatures for the censure motion, mathematically the needed number cannot be reached. On the other hand, there is a deadlock. I’ve reached the conclusion that the opposition does not want to govern because the parties are in competition, each one has its governing programme,” the UDMR leader said.
”I believe my conclusion is right. They won’t govern together. They don’t want to and they cannot, because of the competition between the opposition parties. If USR accepts PNL’s Ludovic Orban as Premier, then it means it accepts PNL as the major force. If it’s the other way around, then PNL accepts,” he added.
Kelemen Hunor said he has had talks with Orban on Tuesday on this issue. “It was a much better discussion than the ones before, we discussed very relaxed. Dialogue has never spoiled anyone’s sleep.”