PNL endorsing Zegrean or USR candidate for Legislative Council chairman

National Liberal Party (PNL) lawmakers are endorsing judge Augustin Zegrean for chairman of the Legislative Council or, if the voting procedure is a simultaneous one, the Save Romania Union (USR) candidate, PNL floor leader in the chamber of Deputies Florin Roman said on Tuesday.

"The PNL floor groups in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are endorsing Mr Augustin Zegrean, former chairman of the Constitutional Court for chairman of the Legislative Council as he is an upright, competent person, a person who shows a lot of professionalism, a person who, according to many Romanians, knew how to keep the balance at the Constitutional Court of Romania. I think judge Augustin Zegrean cannot be overshadowed. Mr Zegrean has had an impeccable career, he held the position of chairman of the CCR, he was not involved in unpleasant episodes of justice, has nothing to do with Ordinance 13, the compensatory appeal or the mutilation of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure," Roman told a joint plenary sitting of Parliament.

He pointed out that, depending on the procedure, PNL will have as its backup option the USR candidate for the chairmanship of the Official Legislation Records and Library Section of the Legislative Council.

"If the voting procedure is to vote simultaneously on two ballots, in the case of the position provided for the department manager [of official records and library], PNL will endorse the USR candidate, because we have to give a very clear signal that only united can we fight against the Social Democratic Party (PSD)," added Roman.

Parliament met on Tuesday in a joint plenary sitting for the appointments to the positions of chairman of the Legislative Council and the council's chairman of the Official Legislation Records and Library.

PSD MP Florin Iordache, former Chairman of the Constitutional Court Augustin Zegrean and General Secretary of the Legislative Council Ionut Duli Mazalu have filed bids for the council's chairmanship.

USR Senator George Edward Dirca, former CCR Chairman Augustin Zegrean and Andrei Ciochiu have submitted bids for the position of chairman of the Official Legislation and Documentation Records and Library Section of the Legislative Council.