USR demands resignation of Agriculture Minister

Save Romania Union (USR, opposition) demands the resignation of Agriculture Minister Petre Daea for "incompetence or indifference" he evinces in handling the crisis triggered by the African swine fever.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, USR objects to the absence of adequate information campaigns among the population regarding this virus.

USR maintains it is unacceptable that the Government and the Agriculture Ministry constantly show the inability to stop the spreading of the African swine fever outbreaks.

"The Romanian authorities have had at their disposal all the tools and mechanism conferred by the law, but also examples of good practice that they could have used to manage the situation, keep the fever under control and avoid the swift spreading of the disease. The Agriculture Ministry had the duty to inform from the very beginning, since the onset and confirmation of the disease at the border, all decision-makers from the administration regarding the measures that need to be made and to have the ANSVSA [the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, e.n.] convene the National Command for Disease Prevention. Because these were not carried out, the Romanian farmers incurred millions of euros worth of damage," USR deputy George Marussi affirms as quoted in the release.

USR considers that disparities regarding the indemnification files for farmers and peasants whose pigs were or are due to be culled are intolerable.

Minister Daea's chaotic statements regarding the absence of national or international experts on the topic only highlight the fact that the minister does not have the situation under control. USR demands Minister Daea's resignation as he doesn't have the competence to lead a ministry, nor the necessary expertise to keep under control such a crisis situation. We trust Minister Daea will resign and acknowledge he is overwhelmed by the situation," USR shows.AGERPRES(RO - author: Florentina Stefanescu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)