USR's Barna: "No convicts in public offices" campaign gathers 450,000 signatures

The "No convicts in public offices" campaign has gathered, until now, 450,000 signatures and will continue in the next two weeks with a caravan that will cross 12 counties in order to reach the target of 500,000 signatures, said the Save Romania Union (USR) Chairman, deputy Dan Barna.

"We are currently at 450,000 signatures, which is an extraordinary thing. I say this because the "No convicts in public office" has become quite the social phenomenon, is displayed during concerts, it is shouted in during concerts, it is shouted on stadiums, I saw it during the Tour of France. Basically, the entire Romanian society has begun, has taken on this message and this message is more than the two words : "No convicts". It is a message that a decent Romania is sending to the current ruling class, it is a message against incompetence, it is a message against the attempt to legalize theft of public money, it is a message against the attempt to undermine the Justice system, it is a message against a Government that shows nearly every day that it is an incompetent Government, that embarrasses Romania," Dan Barna told a press conference, on Tuesday, at the USR headquarters.

The USR leader explained that the current law is slowing down the signature gathering process.

"Apart from the minimum threshold of 500,000 signatures, nation-wide, to which we are relatively close, there is also a second rule (...) that in at least 21 counties we must have 20,000 signatures. Until now, we are close to that threshold in 9 counties or we have even surpassed it. We have exceeded the target in Bucharest, Constanta, Sibiu, Brasov, Cluj and Timis. The other counties where we are close are the following: Tulcea, Galati, Neamt, Bacau, Suceava, Vaslui, Prahova, Arges, Dolj, Hunedoara, Alba and Mures. These are the counties where we will allocate resources, and we recommend all Romanian citizens to allocate them as well, to reach the 20,000-signature threshold. (...) Starting tomorrow we will launch a caravan, at a nationwide level, for two weeks", said Barna.

USR Chairman declared himself confident of the fact that a "Decent Romania is capable to place on the table of this Parliament a very simple message: No more convicted persons in public office."

"There's an important stake for our future. If we want young people and children to continue living in this country and not to give them a message to leave the country, it is important for us to have this message in the Constitution for the current ruling class, because Liviu Dragnea [Social Democratic Party, PSD leader, e.n.], because PSD has brought Romania to the stage where it seems normal to be convicted and to run the state," Barna said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea editor: Mihai Simionescu EN - author: Catalin Cristian Trandafir, editor: Simona Iacob)