POLITICAL UNCERTAINTIES Government Lost In Fog

• PSD is ready to govern with PD-L, but not with UDMR

• Geoana ready to compromise with PD-L: "We"re not interested in offices!"

• Boc guarantees: "UDMR is an option in any ruling formula"

• Tariceanu remains firm: "The office of Prime Minister is not negotiable with PD-L"

Shortly after the end of the PSD Executive Committee meeting of yesterday, PSD President Mircea Geoana announced that the party had mandated him to start negotiations with the Democrat-Liberals led by Emil Boc, on condition that UDMR would be excluded from any government formed by PSD and PD-L. Geoana explained that PSD had chosen to form a majority with PD-L especially considering the social programmes prepared by PSD and the desire to maintain a social balance in the following four years.

In order to do so, Geoana hinted that his party was ready to come to a compromise with PD-L regarding the political offices of importance: "We"re not interested in offices," Geoana said, emphasizing that forming a government with Boc"s party would mean "to maintain the proportions of the popular vote of 30 November." However, Geoana stressed that the meeting of PSD leaders had led to the conclusion that UDMR must not be included in any scenario for the future government. Asked to comment on this decision, Geoana said the Executive Committee had voted 40 to 17 to exclude UDMR from any governing plans. Despite the clear vote, some of the PSD leaders are not so happy with the decision. Sources from PSD say that Adrian Nastase has already announced that he will not accept to be the party"s candidate in the next presidential elections. Also yesterday, UDMR seemed to anticipate PSD"s decision and started negotiations with PD-L. After having clearly stated that they would opt for PNL both for negotiations and the future government, UDMR made a u-turn and announced their option for PD-L, leaving PNL as a backup plan. On UDMR"s side, the Council mandated President Marko Bela to continue negotiations with PD-L. "One thing is certain, we have decided to go on with PD-L," Bela said. "Our option is to have UDMR included in any ruling formula that we will design," Boc replied after negotiations with UDMR counterparts. However, following the Social Democrats" announcement that negotiations will continue with PD-L, but not with UDMR, PD-L President Emil Boc tried to find the middle way. He told a press conference that PD-L would negotiate with "the two parties" that had shown willingness to share the government with the Liberal Democrats. In turn, Marko Bela said UDMR did not feel excluded from negotiations and was still counting on PD-L"s promise regarding the assembly of a cabinet. Last but not least, PNL President Calin Popescu Tariceanu announced that PNL was still ready to negotiate with PSD and PD-L, but, as far as PD-L was concerned, PNL would not negotiate the office of Prime Minister or any changes in the Constitution, which, according to Tariceanu, would transform Romania into a dictatorship similar to the ex-Soviet republics. According to PSD, Tariceanu mentioned that negotiations had not lead to an agreement on the economic measures that should be taken to prevent a full-scale crisis. "It will be an honour for us to serve the country as an opposition party, too," Tariceanu said.