The decision of acquitting Ludovic Orban, takne by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, rekindles the spirits for the fight to lead the National Liberal Party (PNL). Although the Court’s decision is not final yet, Orban is already deemed by many Liberals to be the main favorite in the fight for the party’s leadership, according to dcnews.ro.
Vlad Nistor, one of the signatories of the PNL Manifesto, stated on Tuesday for Realitatea TV that Ludovic Orban has high chances to be the leader of the party. He reiterates the request of the Manifesto according to which all the PNL members should participate to the elections for the president of the party, as it happened inside PSD.
The recent statements are only confirming a part of the rumors from inside the National liberal Party according to which, if Ludovic Orban will be released of the legal problems, he will become the main candidate for taking the party’s leadership.
At the same time, Orban’s return in the give circumstances will also have an important impact on PNL’s speech related to the cleaning of the political class and to the necessity of the “sideways step” made by those having legal problems.
During the electoral campaign, both the former and the current PNL President, namely Alina Gorghiu and respectively Raluca Turcan, limited only to accuse PSD and the Social Democrat members. Since Orban comes from the position of a victim of the judiciary, whose candidacy was blocked in the last minute, he will bring an important change in PNL’s speech, dcnews.ro notes.
Besides, even after the overwhelming vote for PSD, the interim leader Raluca Turcan continued the accusing policy against PSD, without bringing a constructive speech about Liberal politics and party’s projects. Several voices from inside PNL assert the real chances that Ludovic Orban has to take PNL’s presidency in the crisis in which the party is.
Orban after his acquittal: “Justice has been done to me, I have no reaction. But of course I expected it. It’s normal, it’s the normal decision”
The acquittal of the former liberal MP Ludovic Orban for committing the offense of using his influence to get undue benefits, in a case in which he is accused of asking money from the businessman Tiberiu Urdareanu for the electoral campaign at the local elections of the summer of 2016, could have an important political significance. Orban stated that in the event of an acquittal decision, he will run for the PNL presidency.
The indictment in this case made Ludovic Orban to leave the race for the Bucharest City Hall. He was forced to withdraw, the announcement being made right after the first hearing at DNA.
Visibly excited, Ludovic Orban stated on Tuesday that he found out about the judges’ decision from the TV.
“Justice has been done to me, I have no reaction. But of course I expected it. It’s normal, it’s the normal decision. My life is an honest life, a life of common-sense, of honor, of responsibility. I don’t know if I was acquitted or not, because I didn’t see a public session in which the decision was announced, but if I was acquitted, it’s the normal verdict” Ludovic Orban stated.
Turcan: Orban’s acquittal is only strengthening the idea of the Justice’s independence
“We’re very glad for our fellow Ludovic Orban and we trusted him, as we trust other fellows that they are innocent. But we must separate things. This joy we have for Mr. Ludovic Orban’s personal matter must not be mixed with the system problem. If we’re talking about the system, then given that an acquittal existed is the clearest evidence of the courts’ independence. There are always convictions and acquittals in a judiciary. The fact that now we are in front of an acquittal, can only strengthen the idea of the judiciary’s independency and make us continue advocating for this and for maintaining the achieved progress” stated Raluca Turcan at the Parliament’s Palace, at the end of a meeting with the PNL parliamentarians.
According to her, Liberal’s job will be to point out that the abuses must be punished by the judicial institutions – CSM, Judicial Inspection.
Gorghiu: See why we need to openly talk about the magistrates’ liability?
Alina Gorghiu, who as the PNL President when Orban was prosecuted and removed from the electoral race for the Bucharest City Hall, is glad now that the former MP won, even if the decision is not final. She launches an attack against prosecutors, accusing them of abuse.
“Orban is acquitted! See why we need to openly talk about the magistrates’ liability?! About the efficiency of the Judicial Inspection?! Now we need more than ever to strengthen the Justice in Romania, but abuses must be diminished by legislative amendments and debates in Parliament!!!! Not through GEOs or other non-transparent means, as PSD does, trying to wash problems. I don’t know how many of you remember that Orban has been removed from the race for the General City Hall in the last second… this is how history is written” is Gorghiu’s message.
