ALDE Decides to Exclude Senate Chairman, Cabinet Proposals

According to the sources, the group transformed an informal meeting on Friday into a Political Executive Bureau one, during which it voted to exclude the four dissidents who accepted nominations from the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) against official ALDE orders.

The impromptu meeting’s agenda, seen by MEDIAFAX, also included the dissolution of ALDE’s Dolj and Prahova county branches, led by Cupa and Gavrilescu, respectively.

ALDE decided in late August to leave the ruling coalition and join the political opposition. However, PSD announced in early September that it will nominate Melescanu for the office of Senate chairman, which had been vacated by ALDE leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu. The former foreign affairs minister accepted the nomination, despite the fact that the party voted to exclude any members who accept nominations from other parties, and eventually a plenary vote for the role.

Earlier this week, PM Viorica Dancila announced that she will nominate ALDE members Gavrilescu, Cupa and Baisanu for the vacant environment, energy and relations with the Parliament ministry, which were attributed to the party while it was in the ruling coalition. The nominations were later rejected by President Klaus Iohannis.