USR PLUS: United Romania - collaboration agreement for preparing responsible governance for Romania in 2020

The 2020 Save Romania Union (USR) PLUS Alliance invites the Opposition parties to a collaboration agreement for preparing a "responsible governance" for Romania in 2020. "This open letter is an invitation to a responsible political dialogue in view of finding fair solutions following the failed act of governance of the current parliamentary majority and for preparing a viable governing alternative in 2020. (...) The final form of this agreement is a topic of negotiation between the parties in the opposition and other relevant stakeholders in society, who want to joint the United Romania project, so that, at the end, the document, can become the governing programme which we'll propose to the Romanian citizens. This programme will be the instrument by which we will be judged by the electors in terms of our political performance," an open letter of the 2020 USR PLUS Alliance sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday informed. The 2020 USR PLUS Alliance asks the Opposition to understand "the need of unity and political coherence" and provide certain options to the Romanian electors, that can impede or limit the political fragmentation, in the context of a special electoral cycle which Romania has to carry out and that can lead to eight years of stability, around a solid majority and a competent government. "We propose to act as political forces which put this political context above the personal interest or that of a party. We want to offer the Romanian society a political alternative interested in a long-term competent governance, with an impact over Romania's future. (...) After the presidential, local and parliamentary elections between 2019 and 2020, our country will benefit from two electoral intervals which will only be interrupted once, in 2024. This can lead to eight years of stability and development, unaltered by political fights, division in society, around a solid majority and a competent government," the document reads. In view of the presidential elections, the 2020 USR PLUS Alliance endorses and proposes a "positive" campaign, that can provide "the guarantee of continuing the anti-corruption fight, support the reform measures of the Romanian state and include in its agenda the strategic development priorities of the Romanian society on education, healthcare and infrastructure." In the opinion of the letter's signatories, in preparing the local elections, the Opposition should collaborate and find the best options, in order to win the elections in all communes, towns and cities of Romania, providing the citizens the best-prepared candidates for the mayor, local and county councilors offices. "Taking into account the specificities of the local elections, which will unfold in a single round, the Opposition should negotiate and find a balanced solution among the political people whom it proposes for these offices, so as to ensure their representativeness and professionalism, their integrity, as well as the potential to represent the solution to the PSD [the Social Democratic Party] bankruptcy in the local administration," according to the letter. In terms of the parliamentary elections, the USR PLUS believes that the Oppositions should make sure that it will propose "competent and honest" politicians to the electors, so it can obtain a decisive vote, that can allow the building of a solid majority and government for at least four years. The letter of the 2020 USR PLUS Alliance also refers to a series of public policy proposals, such as the constitutional reform that should focus on depoliticising institutions, repairing the damage "created by the current parliamentary majority" to the justice system, the electoral reform or that of the central and local administrative body. AGERPRES (RO - author: Sorin Penes, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)