Ciolacu says PSD will file complaint with CNCD against President for incitement to hatred

Interim Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu has announced on Friday that the party he leads will file a complaint with the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD) against President Klaus Iohannis for "incitement to hatred based on the spreading of false information," following the statements regarding the draft law on the autonomy of the Szeklerland. Moreover, the Social-Democrat leader requested the gathering of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) parliamentary committees. "I firmly ask President Iohannis to come with clear evidence, otherwise, everyone will understand that it is a new lie in the series of those he launched against professor Streinu-Cercel or on the topic of schools reopening in France. I request the SRI and SIE parliamentary control committees to gather next week and convene the heads of intelligence in order to present an official report regarding the false information stated in the public space by President Iohannis. The PSD will file a complaint with the National Council for Combating Discrimination against President Klaus Iohannis for incitement to hatred based on the spreading of false information," Ciolacu wrote on his Facebook page. He accuses Klaus Iohannis of "not being able to overcome the position as the PNL [the National Liberal Party] chairman" and behaves as if he isn't the president of all Romanians. Marcel Ciolacu also believes that, through the statements regarding the Szeklerland, President Iohannis would have actually wanted to "cover the incompetence of the PNL Government, which he leads." In the Social-Democrat leader's view, President Iohannis and the Government didn't respond to citizens' real problems, so they resorted to "incitement to hatred, interethnic tensions and gross lie." "Not even a school pupil could imagine that a Romanian, a political party or an organization could ever threaten Romania's integrity. Iohannis' attack is as embarrassing as possible! Nobody gives Transylvania away! Romania is a European Union and NATO member country! Unfortunately, Iohannis is not a European president," Marcel Ciolacu also wrote. President Klaus Iohannis criticised on Wednesday a bill on the autonomy of the Szeklerland, claiming that the PSD helped the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) to pass this piece of legislation in the Chamber of Deputies. "It is incredible, dear Romanians, what is happening in the Romanian Parliament. PSD has helped UDMR to pass through the Chamber of Deputies a law that gives wide autonomy to the Szeklerland. It is incredible where we have arrived with this PSD. It is incredible what agreements are made in Romania's Parliament. (...) The great PSD is fighting in the secret offices of Parliament to give Transylvania away to the Hungarians," Iohannis told a press briefing at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. Subsequently, the President took note of Senate's rejection of the drat law regarding the autonomy of the Szeklerland and drew attention to the fact that such initiatives should never again be found in Parliament. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Onea, editor: Mirela Barbulescu; EN - editor: Rodica State)