The Social Democratic Party (PSD) approved on Wednesday the Code of Ethics and Conduct for PSD members, a document that established the circumstances in which candidates to political or administrative positions either by means of election or appointment can have their political support withdrawn.
At the sitting of the PSD’s National Executive Committee, the Code of Ethics was voted by majority, except for the chapter on criteria of conduct and integrity, where two members abstained.
According to the document sent to Agerpres, the Code of Ethics states that individuals who are subject to criminal prosecution, have been sent to court or have been sentenced in court for acts of corruption, tax evasion or violent offenses will not benefit from the support of the Social Democratic Party.
The same applies to individuals who are in remand, house arrest and judicial control for any type of offense. Similarly, those who held positions in the management bodies of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR), Communist Youth Union (UTC) and the Union of Romanian Communist Students Associations (UASCR), behaved in an abusive, aggressive or inappropriate manner towards other citizens, have expressed attitudes or declarations that are extremist or discriminatory on the basis of gender, religion or nationality, former members of the Securitate, the former political police, or covert officers who have been exposed will not benefit from the political support of the PSD.
Those who have debts, as individuals, to the local budget of the community in which they are running for positions or commercial ties with the institution offering the position or institutions subordinated to it, will also no longer benefit from the PSD’s political support.
Moreover, the PSD will not offer political support to possible candidates for a public position by either election or appointment to those who “received papers, diplomas or other scientific degrees through plagiarism or intellectual theft proven in court.”
In addition, those who “are subject to a final court decision on incompatibility or conflict of interests” or “have filled in untruthfully or with omissions statements of assets or interests, as established by a final court decision” will have their political support withdrawn.
The document also states that PSD candidates to positions subject to election at the 2016 local and parliamentary elections will enter a “Social contract” with the citizens in the communities they are running in, which includes two components: “the candidate’s commitment to integrity by virtue of which the candidate commits to respect and become subject to the requirements of the current Code of Ethics and Conduct” and “the political platform that will include the public policies for community development that the candidate aims to carry out during the term”.
The Code of Ethics and Conduct applies to all PSD members, regardless of whether they hold political, representation or leadership positions in various central or local political and administrative structures, the document states.
If Ponta wants to run for Parliament, he’ll be on party’s ticket
Dragnea said on Wednesday that if former PM Victor Ponta wants to run in next year’s parliamentary election, he will be placed on the party’s ticket, as he is in none of the situations set forth in the Code of Ethics and Conduct adopted on Wednesday by the party’s National Executive Committee, which would require the party to withdraw Ponta’s political support.
“Under the provisions of the Code of Ethics and Conduct, and considering Victor Ponta’s current situation, this isn’t a real possibility (that he wouldn’t be entered on the PSD ticket – Ed. note). I heard about media allegations on the subject and I categorically reject this point. Victor Ponta is in none of these situations (a court decision handed down for tax evasion or plagiarism – Ed. note) (…) If he wants to run, then yes, he will be on PSD’s ticket. And I hope he [enters the race],” Dragnea said at the end of the sitting of PSD’s National Executive Committee, when asked if Ponta could possibly not be nominated on the party’s ticket for the next parliamentary election, given that the Ethics Committee of the Bucharest University found evidence of plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation.
Dragnea added that the document that sets forth the conduct and integrity criteria the PSD candidates are required to meet was not “customized for Victor Ponta.”
“This code of conduct was not designed for myself or for Victor Ponta. It was conceived for PSD,” underscored the Social-Democrat leader.
Dragnea: In theory, PSD has no reason to vote against 2016 budget bill
Social Democrat Party (PSD) Chairman Liviu Dragnea on Wednesday evening said that, in theory, the Social Democrats have no reason to vote against the 2016 budget bill, but mentioned that the party would assess very carefully the possibilities to improve it.
“In the end, the PSD will do what it has been saying for a few days: it will assess very carefully the possibilities through which we can realistically improve the budget draft. We shall make an analysis. In theory, there is no reason to vote against it. We are trying to find solutions for this budget, once it becomes a law, to be better than when it came from the Government. This is Parliament’s role,” Dragnea pointed out after the meeting of the PSD National Executive Committee.
He added that the amounts allotted to balance the local budgets are lower than the desires and even the needs of local communities.
“We shall see in Parliament if solutions can be found to increase them. The local communities are allotted several amounts – for development, for funding some social services and not only,” Dragnea pointed out.
According to him, the PSD stand in respect to increasing the minimum wage to 1,200 lei starting January 1, 2016, a stand also adopted in the National Executive Committee meeting, is very clear, namely to reject the fact that it is not planned to be increased.
“We positively reject the fact that the minimum wage per economy is not being raised. We expect serious arguments from the Government for which this increase should be delayed, we expect serious arguments and that impact study Mrs Finance Minister was talking about,” the PSD leader added, according to Agerpres.
