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Parliament to hear ministers-designate Tuesday, Wednesday; convene in joint plenary session next Monday
In a joint session on Monday, Parliament's standing bureaus decided that the ministers-designate of the Orban Cabinet will be heard for confirmation on Tuesday and Wednesday, while next Monday a joint plenary session will be held in which to vote on the new cabinet.
"It was adopted by consensus that the hearings of the candidates for the positions of ministers be scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, from 09:00hrs until evening. It was also unanimously decided that next Monday at 14:00hrs Parliament will convene in a plenary meeting to vote the new government into office," said Senate President Teodor Melescanu, at the end of the sitting of the joint session of the standing bureaus.
Prime Minister designate, Ludovic Orban, stated, on Monday, that the proposed ministers are ready for the hearings in the parliamentary committees, mentioning that he requested they go to their ministries to demand for information regarding concrete situation in each domain and organize ample consultations with civil society.
He said that it is the obligation of each clerk to make available for the minister-designate the public information necessary to fundament positions.
"From the moment of presenting the Government list, I announced publicly that each minister candidate has a path to follow. Surely they are prepared, because they are people who know the issues in the system, know the true state and have solutions prepared and ready to be applied. Moreover, I requested and almost all ministers did this - go to the ministries and in connection with the Secretary General, especially, with the clerks, find out the concrete situation, information that was not public until now, so that they know what additional priorities may appear due to the current situation," Orban mentioned, when asked at Parliament if the ministers proposed are ready for the hearings in the select committees.
According to the chair of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the candidates for the position of minister will also organize an "ample" consultation of civil society and experts in the domain they are nominated for," in order to fundament any decision, any point of view" expressed, following consultations with civil society - owners' associations, trade unions, professional association, "so that it will be very clearly known that the PNL Government is (...) open to dialogue".
Orban mentioned that in some ministries the clerks were very open to provide the necessary data, and in others less so.
Outgoing Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Monday that the Social Democrat lawmakers will not participate in the vote on the Orban Cabinet's investiture.
"Those who scraped together a conjectural majority in order to bring down a government are the ones who should take the responsibility of putting together the votes needed for investing a new government," Dancila said at an event devoted to the combat of youth drug use organised under the motto "No drugs, no problems" at the Children's Comic Opera House.
She pointed out that the PSD will not vote for the Orban Government because "it cannot support a governing program that takes measures against the Romanians".
General Nicolae Ciuca, in reserve by president Iohannis
President Klaus Iohannis signed on Monday the decree regarding the passing in reserve of four-star General Nicolae Ciuca from the ministry of national defence. Ciuca had the position of Head of General Staff of the Army. The designated premier Ludovic Orban announced on 24 October the members of the new cabinet, General Nicolae –Ionel Ciuca being proposed as minister of National Defence.