Coalition hangs by a thread

• PSD will not give up on Nica

• Băsescu suggests an independent or a representative of the opposition for the Ministry of Internal Affairs

• PD-L is considering a Government of interim ministers

The Coalition is still sitting on a powder keg which is set to explode if the request of Prime Minister Emil Boc to dismiss the minister of Administration and Internal Affairs, Dan Nica gets signed by president Traian Băsescu.

The request to dismiss PSD minister Dan Nica reached Cotroceni Palace, and the leaders of the two governing parties, Social-Democrat Mircea Geoană and liberal-democrat Emil Boc yesterday resorted to the mediation of president Traian Băsescu.

After just 30 minutes of talks, PSD leader Mircea Geoană announced that if the dismissal request gets signed, his party would leave the coalition, and all social-democrat ministers would resign.

Mircea Geoană said everything was part of a plan to destabilize the Coalition and that the president just "went through the motions" during the meeting, and that his proposal to appoint an independent minister was "unrealistic, hypocritical and unacceptable".

The chairman of the PSD said that he unconditionally supports Dan Nica for the position of head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and rather than an independent minister of internal affairs, he suggested an independent prime-minister, that would actually succeed in fighting the economic crisis.

"It is the third government sabotaged by Traian Băsescu sabotages", said Mircea Geoană, who added: "If Mr. Băsescu accepts the proposal of Mr. Boc, which I think he"ll be really quick to do, than the entire responsibility for the break-up of the coalition will rest on the shoulders of Traian Băsescu".

Shortly after the statement of Geoană, president Traian Băsescu made a statement to the press discussing his stance on the crisis of the Governmental coalition.

Traian Băsescu urged the two parties to get together as quickly as possible, in a meeting of the Coalition, and claimed that the statements made by certain political leaders have discredited the activity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"The two parties are instilling doubt in the general populace regarding the ability of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to serve as the main organizer of the presidential elections", Traian Băsescu said.

The president thus proposed that the two parties take into consideration the alternative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs being led by an independent minister or one from the opposition, with the vice-prime minister going to social-democrats.

As the social democrats rejected both proposals straight away, and the head of state kept mum on what would become of Dan Nica, liberal-democrats have already begun making plans for the future of the government.

The minister of Transports, liberal-democrat Radu Berceanu, said that a possible alternative would be to create a minority government right until after the presidential elections, with interim ministers from the PD-L to replace those of the PSD.

"We will probably have to select some replacement ministers from those that remain - this is a simple matter, or rather it is one of the first things in the Constitution - replacement ministers that can serve for a maximum of 45 days", said Berceanu, as quoted by Agerpres.

The Minister of Transports said that PD-L has "a plan" in this respect, which is subject to a possible of a possible reconciliation with the social democrats, or the continuation of the disagreement, which would involve a no-confidence motion of PSD.

Radu Berceanu said: "Nobody wants to take over the ministries of the PSD. We will appoint interims, because the Government can not work otherwise. We will appoint interim ministers for 45 days and this will keep the Government going".

In turn, members of PSD which waited in Mircea Geoană"s office in the Senate to find out the result of the talks held at the Cotroceni Palace, said they would continue their day to day work. Social-Democrat Ministers that waited in the senate included Dan Nica, Ilie Sârbu, Ion Bazac, Marian Sârbu, Ecaterina Andronescu şi Cristian Diaconescu.

Minister of Agriculture Ilie Sârbu said: "We will continue our work, or else prime-minister Boc will cut our wage!"

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Nica ended by saying that PSD ministers would be heading towards the ministries they helm to continue work...