PM Dancila: PSD will ensure quorum for motion, will not vote

Social Democrat Party (PSD) MPs will be present in the chamber for the debate and voting of the censure motion, but they will not vote, said Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, leader of the Social Democrats. 

"The PSD will join the chamber, they will not vote. They [the opposition - e.n.] must ensure their 233 votes 'for'. The quorum will be ensured by us, because we wanted this motion voted even earlier. I saw the Opposition's desire to bring down the Government, but then when we wanted the motion voted on a Saturday, we saw the same Opposition, that earlier said any hour, any day with this Government is a day lost, say they didn't want to. I understand, they don't work on Saturday and Sunday. And then how do they want to govern, if they don't work on Saturday and Sunday, if they have their beauty sleep in the evening after 18:00 hrs and can't work? So what we saw was total lack of professionalism. I saw they were glad when the motion was delayed by nearly a week and then I think: what is the purpose and what do they really want?," said Viorica Dancila, on Wednesday, at private broadcaster Antena 3, when asked if the information according to which the PSD MPs will not enter the chamber for the vote in Parliament is correct. 

Asked what the atmosphere in the PSD is at this moment, the Prime Minister answered: "It's not tense. An hour ago I met with my deputies and senator colleagues, we are relaxed, we took into account all scenarios, even though everyone has the conviction that the motion will not pass tomorrow." 

"It's an atmosphere that I cannot call relaxed, we are before a censure motion, which, of course, implies the ousting of a PSD Government. I can say that they are very involved and that all colleagues are hoping, they have the conviction that the motion will not pass. They've spoken to their colleagues in other political parties, each had a dialogue, a dialogue as colleagues and that strengthens their conviction that the motion will not pass," Dancila completed. 

The censure motion against the Dancila Government will be debated upon and voted on Thursday in Parliament. The motion, titled "To rebuild Romania, the Dancila Government must be demoted urgently!" has 237 signatures from MPs from the National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR), the People's Movement Party (PMP), PRO Romania, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), national minorities, but also two from the PSD, according to the leader of the Liberals, Ludovic Orban. 

In order for the censure motion to be adopted by Parliament 233 votes are necessary. The vote itself is secret and will use colored balls and urns.