Romanian Democrat Liberals Ask Coalition Partners To Give Up Investigation On Tourism Min

According to the quoted sources, the democrat liberals came to the meeting Monday to ask the Social Democratic Party to give up the committee investigating tourism minister Elena Udrea, a request which received more attention than other topics up for debate, such as the government’s plan to assume responsibility for the Laws on Education and a 20% staff cut in the public administration.

The quoted sources said the democrat liberals were quite firm in their request, whereas the social democrat leaders avoided a straight answer, as they don’t want to waive the committee over reasons related to public image.

The plenary of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies approved with 103 votes in favor, none against and no abstention, the setting up of a committee to investigate how tourism minister Elena Udrea spent public money.

The committee will be made up of deputies of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). Democrat liberals and the national minorities’ group did not designate a representative for the committee.

In the plenary, 64 democrat liberals and four minority representatives did not vote, but ensured the necessary quorum.

The inquiry committee will include social democrats Aura Vasile, Robert Negoita, Vasile Bleotu, Dumitru Chirita and Nicolae Banicioiu, liberals Ludovic Orban, Claudiu Taga and Adriana Saftoiu and Lakatos Peter from UDMR.

Its first meeting is scheduled for August 4 at 11 a.m.

The voting in the lower house followed the request of PNL and PSD for an inquiry into the Tourism Ministry’s use of public funds and advertising contracts for the promotion of Romania as a tourist destination.