UPDATE/President Iohannis: Dragnea ordered CNA to ignore the referendum

President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) tried "to boycott the referendum" even institutionally, with the head of state mentioning that Liviu Dragnea "ordered the CNA [the National Audiovisual Council of Romania]" to ignore the referendum of 26 May. "The PSD is trying to boycott this referendum even institutionally, Dragnea ordered the CNA to ignore the referendum. It is an election which is being held at the same time with the elections to the European Parliament, but it is something different. For the first time in the history after December '89, the CNA refused to grant airtime for promoting the referendum. Even more, it didn't want to consider the matter! And when I sent a request, with a video made by the Presidential Administration, in which I encourage Romanians to participate in the referendum, just that, not to suggest the response, it said that this video represents an electoral campaign, and I should go and deal with the parties. What a insolence on the CNA behalf! It's lamentable!," Iohannis stated at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. According to the head of state, the PSD "tries to boycott" the vote in the referendum. "On 26 May, the referendum is voted and the PSD is afraid! The PSD is afraid of this vote in the referendum and the PSD does what the PSD knows. It tries to boycott this vote in the referendum. We all see how the activists, people in the PSD leadership, stroll across the country, in counties, city halls, press conferences, to explain people how this referendum wouldn't be important, that they shouldn't turn out, and it can even be seen that they go around the counties and city halls so that the Social Democrats there convince the people not to vote in the referendum. This attempt is lamentable," Iohannis stated. He urged Romanians to participate in the voting on Sunday. "The Romanians should not be afraid! The Romanians should not be afraid to turn out, to vote in the referendum and the elections to the European Parliament. And, if the Romanians want to know what they will be sheltered from if they vote, let them see what happened in the campaign around the country. In Topoloveni, regular protesters, people who don't agree with Dragnea, and I understand them very well, were simply arrested on the spot, taken to the Police. Targoviste, a beautiful city, the county seat, the city was closed because the Social Democrats wanted quietness to do their electoral campaign. The right to vote is a right won by Romanians in December '89 through the supreme sacrifice. Romanians, I tell you, don't waste the right to vote, go, vote, nobody can take this right! Don't be afraid, because the right to vote is yours and on 26 May the power rests with you. Go and decide, don't let others, don't let the PSD decide in our place. On 26, to the vote!," Klaus Iohannis conveyed. The head of state believes that the referendum on 26 May will be validated. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)

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