State Secretary Appointments Caused Interior Minister To Resign - Sources

Dragnea thought of quitting his position last Monday, when he submitted his nominations for the headship of the Anticorruption Department and the state secretary position within the Interior Ministry, namely Ionel Georgescu and Mincu Silvestru.

His resignation may be caused by Boc’s refusal to appoint the two for the respective positions, which caused arguments at the beginning of last week, politicians told MEDIAFAX.

The quoted sources said Boc refused to sign the nominations, and President Traian Basescu was not in favor of them too.

The same sources said Dragnea was warned some files will be reopened at the Anticorruption Department, in cases where prosecution against him had been ceased.

Following this situation, conflicts of opinion aroused a week ago within the coalition.

Dragnea threatened he would resign, but he made this decision at the end of the week, Thursday or Friday, sources said.

Dragnea’s wish was to present his resignation within the joined meeting of the Social Democratic Party in Sinaia, central Romania, on Friday and Saturday, but party leader Mircea Geoana asked him no to.

Dragnea told some close friends about his intention during the reunion, but he left the public announcement to the last moment, which created turmoil in the party, sources said.

Although Geoana was aware of his intention, he found out that he would actually resign only few minutes before the minister’s press statement, and he got to call some party peers to prepare them for it, sources said.

The quoted sources said Dragnea was aware of these nominations when he accepted the minister seat.

They said the two nominees, Georgescu and Silvestru, were backed by party branch leader Marian Vanghelie, who has also backed Dragnea at the helm of the ministry in exchange for their appointment for the two positions.

The quoted sources said the standing office of the Social Democratic Party approved their nomination in last week’s meeting, and their names were submitted for validation to the Prime Minister on Monday.

Another possibility rumored within the party suggests Dragnea would have proposed people close to him for the positions, following the refusal of the prime minister to appoint Georgescu and Silvestru.

Sources said this would have upset the backers of Georgescu and Silvestru, and pressures made on the interior minister made him turn to this action.

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