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Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu sent Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna a message to "keep his hands off the judiciary", adding that he has no right to comment on a court or a magistrate's ruling, according to AGERPRES.
"I was looking at Romania's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Barna, as he said today that the decision of the special section to have the [local election] votes in Bucharest Sector 1 recounted is a political decision, and that this is all political splash. Man, you are the Deputy Prime Minister of Romania, who gives you the right to comment on a decision of a prosecutor, to call it political splash? (...) When you are a member of the government, an MP, you have no right to comment on a decision of a court or a magistrate. What's this decision aimed at? At finding out the truth, whether the vote has been stolen or not in Sector 1. I want to know the truth. How am I supposed to go to the polls next time if there is a suspicion that the vote is being rigged? And on top of that he claims that learning that the winner was eventually PSD and not USR doesn't matter any more, because [sitting mayor] Clotilde Armand won't be replaced under the law. In other words, if we find out the truth and the truth isn't what they want, we are left with an imposter mayor. That's the USR reform. When the PSD was in power, their buzzword was 'Keep your hands off Justice'. It's my turn to very clearly tell Barna: keep your hands off the judiciary. Take that [JusMin] Stelian of yours and let the magistrates do their job," Ciolacu told broadcaster Antena 3 on Thursday evening.
The PSD head added that he disagrees with the abolition of the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes.
"I didn't make phone calls to the presidents of my party's organizations to ask them their opinion about this section. I had meetings with at least 20 magistrates, judges and prosecutors, and I understood the purpose of this section. I'd like the Romanians to understand very well that this section doesn't defend politicians, that it has nothing to do with political corruption cases. If you want the rule of law but don't give independence to magistrates, the judges and prosecutors have come and said that the section must stay in place. Who gives you, a politician, the right to say other than the magistrates?," Ciolacu continued his verbal onslaught.
