PM TARICEANU'S LIBERAL PARTY SPLITS: DISSIDENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 001837

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - AARON JENSEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI RO
SUBJECT: PM TARICEANU'S LIBERAL PARTY SPLITS: DISSIDENTS
FORM NEW ONE

REF: BUCHAREST 1810

Classified By: DCM Mark Taplin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Tariceanu,s National Liberal
Party (PNL) formally split on December 7. The dissident
group of former party presidents, Theodor Stolojan and
Valeriu Stoica, formed the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD),
inviting others to join and claim PNL's position within the
ruling coalition. Tariceanu's PNL will not willingly
relinquish power. Though the PNL split could lead to early
parliamentary elections, the opposition Social Democrats may
be inclined to avoid an electoral contest until they have
gotten their own house in order, preferring to keep the
current minority government in place for a while longer. End
summary.


2. (SBU) The National Liberal Party (PNL) headed by Prime
Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu formally divided on December
7, as the leaders of the alternative liberal platform
(reftel) formed the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD). The
leader of the dissenting Liberals, Theodor Stolojan, flanked
by Valeriu Stoica, Mona Musca, Gheorghe Flutur, Cristian
Boureanu, and surrounded by the core of the new party, made
the announcement in a televised press conference and urged
PNL members to join the new party. He said the PLD would
organize a national convention early next year. Stolojan, a
former PNL president and PM, more recently President
Basescu's chief economic advisor, called the PNL leadership
"the destroyers of the Democratic Alliance" and
"petro-liberals" beholden to the interests of oil industry
patron, Dinu Patriciu.
.
A Quick Break
.

3. (SBU) Stolojan and other dissident liberal leaders said
they were forced to take this step because the current PNL
leadership refused to engage in constructive dialogue. They
called for a special partnership with the Democratic Party
(PD) in the spirit of the "Justice and Truth PNL-PD"
alliance. Stolojan recalled that his supporters had
initiated the alliance with the Democrats, but that it was
subsequently hijacked by the current PNL leadership. The
liberal dissidents already boast approximately one-third of
the PNL's parliamentarians (28 legislators) who pledged their
support for the new party. This split within the PNL occurred
while the Liberals and Democrats were fighting openly over
replacing ministerial positions vacated by the Conservative
Party,s withdrawal from the government.


4. (C) Cristian Boureanu, one of the early supporters of the
Liberal Democrat Party,s platform, told Poloff that the
decision was taken sooner than he hoped following Tariceanu's
decision to expel from the party eight regional PNL branches
that had announced their support for the Stolojan-Stoica
political platform. The eight, in turn, called for the
immediate establishment of a separate party to which they
would defect with their existing local party structures
intact. Boureanu expected additional PNL branches -- the
basis of the party's structure -- to join the PLD before the
party congress. Boureanu said talks with the Democratic
Party on re-forming the original Democratic Alliance would be
held next week.
.
Not So Fast
.

5. (C) Cristian Adomnitei, PNL deputy and leader of PNL
Youth, played down the situation, telling Poloff the damage
was limited to the parliamentary group. He asserted that two
of the local party branches had already returned to the fold,
while the presidents of the other branches had still not
succeeded in taking their supporters with them. Adomnitei
said the PNL was delaying the passage of the budget until
nearer the December 21 closing session of parliament to
ensure the government would continue through January 1
unchallenged. He said a PNL extraordinary congress would be
held on January 12 to reaffirm Tariceanu,s leadership and
party platform before the February 1 opening session of
parliament.


8. (C) Comment: PM Tariceanu,s clamp down on dissent within
his party forced the hand of the dissenters, who have opted
to form a new party rather than wrest control of the PNL from
within. The PLD leaders are among the best known and most
popular Romanian political figures, especially Stoljan and
Musca, and their new party could poll as much as 10 to 12
percent in the polls should there be early elections.
Tariceanu,s rump PNL could expect as little as 6-7 percent,
or might not even pass the 5 percent parliamentary threshold,
depending on how many more leading liberal defections occur.

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The PLD and its planned alliance with the Democratic Party
are in line with President Basescu,s desire to form a strong
center-right party made up of Democrats and Liberals (or now,
Liberal Democrats). On the other hand, early elections
depend on the Social Democrats, who have the largest single
faction in parliament, and their willingness to face the
polls versus a status quo that is not entirely uncomfortable
for PSD incumbents. The future direction of the Social
Democratic party will be clearer after the December 10
special party congress, at which PSD President Mircea Geoana
hopes to strengthen his position against the fractious old
guard. End comment.
TAUBMAN