USR: Two-round mayoral elections forsaken for triggering early elections

After today's success of the censure motion, the Save Romania Union (USR) said that the two-round mayoral elections have been forsaken in order to trigger early elections. "Today's vote on the censure motion shows that our fears that the two-round election of mayors is being forsaken in order to trigger early elections were grounded. There would certainly have been better options, had this been desired. And the problem could have been solved as early as last November. But regrettably, the parties from the old political class have chosen on behalf of the Romanians. And it's also the old political class that decided, while ignoring the Romanians' good and letting the welfare of the local barons prevail, that county council presidents should not be elected in two rounds. The Orban Government has adopted on Tuesday, in a marathon session, 25 OUGs, but none to strengthen local democracy. Therefore it's highly likely that county council presidents will be further elected according to the PSD formula, adopted by the Dancila Government," reads a post on USR's Facebook page. The Union adds that National Liberal Party representatives are required to accept discussions with the other anti-PSD parties for the right to line up single candidates in local elections. "Now, if they want to convince the people that this is not some sort of USL 2 arrangement, the representatives of the National Liberal Party are bound to accept talks with the other anti-PSD parties for the right to field single candidates in the local elections, otherwise we'll have incompetent and corrupt, glued-to-the-seat public-money-sucking mayors for yet another four years," the message reads. The censure motion titled "Orban Government / PNL - putting Romanian democracy into private hands" initiated by the Social Democratic Party was adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)