PACT for Romania notifies Bucharest City Hall on 10 August meeting

PACT for Romania notified the Committee for Public Order within the Capital's City Hall on the organisation of a protest meeting on 10 August in Victoriei Square, but does not assume the role of organizer, according to Tudor Carstoiu, representative of PACT for Romania, following a meeting with representatives of local authorities. 

"The main message is that we are not organizers and we have not tried to assume this role. We are some of the many promoters of the event, but we never tried to become organizers and we certainly would not do this 48 hours prior to the event. We are simply encouraging authorities to ensure the best framework for a peaceful, non-violent manifestation, as civilized as it can be for a democratic country," Carstoiu specified, after taking part in the Committee's meeting of reviewing the requests for the public gatherings' organisation and conduct. 

He estimated that for the event there will be 100,000 participants and made an appeal for non-violence on their behalf. Carstoiu mentioned that PACT notified City Hall on 14 June regarding the protest of 10 August and underlined that discussions with local authorities should have begun sooner. Carstoiu also specified that the main message of this protest is to bring down the Dancila Government and organise early elections. Some other claims are the cut of the number of MPs to 300 and an increased representativeness for diaspora to be ensured. 

Carstoiu also declared that the chairman of the Federation of Romanians Abroad, Emanuel Cioaca used to be a member of the Social Democratic Party (main ruling PSD, ed. n.) and that "it was a situation in which PSD tried to infiltrate this protest". 

"We took a firm position at that moment and now consider that all they're trying to do is find some scape goats. We came out of respect, because this is normal, to discuss - which is why we were not in the least interested in any role of organizing or signing a protocol - but it is very important that we clarify the situation," he said. 

Bucharest deputy mayor Aurelian Badulescu declared that, given that the Federation of Romanians Abroad announced that they relinquish the role of organizing the 10 August protest, the PACT representatives who were next on the petitioners' list, were invited to come before the public order committee.