‘I have realised there was a disaccord of character between myself and some people in the party leadership, therefore we amicably decided it was time to say our good-byes’, Senator Sergiu Nicolaescu, one of the party’s oldest members, told Mediafax. E refused to nominate the PSD leaders he had referred to. The Senator resigned from the party after the leaders had reproached to him his ‘concessive’ attitude on the TVR law promoted by PDL Deputy Raluca Turcan. Sources from the PSD leadership told Mediafax that the National Standing Bureau had blamed Nicolaescu for missing a meeting of the Senate Culture Committee, by that making it possible for Turcan’s TVR draft law to be adopted.
The same sources said Nicolaescu had also been criticised for chairing ‘too softly’ another meeting where the TVR heads were supposed to be heard in relation to the coverage of Adrian Paunescu’s death. The sources said Nicolaescu was on the verge of being replaced as head of the Senate Culture Committee after Victor Ponta had tried to appoint someone else in February, but decided to postpone the move because of the objections made by PSD Honorary President Ion Iliescu. PSD intends to appoint Olguta Vasilescu to the office. PSD President Victor Ponta yesterday said he regretted Sergiu Nicolaescu’s departure and appeared to be surprised by his decision.
The President of the PSD National Council, Adrian Nastase, said that, personally, he would try to convince the senator to re-consider his resignation from the party, because he valued their 20-year long cooperation and would be very sorry to see that his decision was final.
