Bucharest mayor: Bucharest City Hall doesn’t give orders to the gendarmes or to the Prefect

Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea has taken the first stand on the Diaspora rally incidents on Wednesday, saying the City Hall does not give orders to the gendarmes or to the Capital Prefect. Asked about a potential dismissal of the prefect Speranta Cliseru over this issue, the mayor said the prime minister is the one who can decide over this, adding that the prefect would have not been interesting to anyone if she had not been linked to her.

Also questioned if there are tensions in the ruling party, Firea replied there are obviously things to be said, but that she will say them inside the party.

We remind that after the protest of August 10, the Romanian Gendarmerie spokesperson, Marius Militaru revealed that Bucharest prefect, Speranta Cliseru had ordered gendarmes to come in heavy against protesters. Speranta Cliseru was prefect of Ilfov (2013-2014) and worked at the Voluntari Town Hall, where mayor is Florentin Pandele, the husband of Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea.

While he was working at the Voluntari town hall, Speranta Cliseru was public administrator and executive director. She also was parliamentary adviser in Gabriela Firea’s cabinet when she was senator during 2012-2013.

Firea did not comment the discrepancies between the statements of the prefect and the Interior ministry’s representatives on the intervention order.

„As for these discrepancies reported in the mass media, it is an ongoing investigation of the prosecutor’s office and any statement made during the investigation might affect it (…) I know certain things, but I cannot express them in public. I will wait for the results of the investigation. I can say, as a personal note, that I generally don’t have around me people who are lying ” Firea stated.

Bucharest Prefect Speranta Cliseru, a close friend of Firea, told journalists that she had signed the intervention order after midnight, while the gendarmes representatives had said that the order had been signed at 23:00hr.

However, mayor Firea underlined that prefect Cliseru had not informed her on the developments during the rally, for the Prefect’s office is not subordinated to the Bucharest City Hall and that the city hall is neither giving orders to the gendarmes.

„The prefect’s office is not subordinated to the city hall, so the prefect has not informed me, but I spoke to the deputy mayor for I was on an official trip abroad (…) I saw all kind of speculations. The City Hall does not give orders to the gendarmes, or to the prefect. I checked the facts, the same as you did, I cannot say I slept that night, I was not calm (…) It’s not happiness for a mayor that such things should happen in the city she is coordinating. It’s a pain, it is a very tough, very delicate moment (…),” the mayor pointed out.

“There are things to be said in the party”

Asked if there are tensions in the ruling party, PSD, over these issues, she replied that „there are definitely things to be said”, but she won’t join those who „sling mud” and that she will say her stance inside the party.

Firea added that the party needs „responsible people” right now.