"I have the experience and skills necessary to meet this office requirements in Romania (the office of president – editor’s note.).I am the only one who has got years of experience dealing with the main tasks of the President: foreign policy, defense policy and legal issues "said the former director of the SIE
Why he gave up the position of the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service to run in the presidential elections?
"There is no Romanian state institution that I am not familiar with (...). I felt it was my responsibility and I had to make a mature decision whether to run or not. After 40 years I've put in service of the country, I have always been a state official, it would be normal to try this crowning of my career, " the former head of the SIE said.
Here are the main statements by Teodor Meleşcanu:
I want to officially announce that after taking office, once a month all the media will be invited to a breakfast at the Presidency to explain the actions taken by the President and the Government.
The second idea that will be on my agenda all the time, until I have achieved it, is the creation of a special committee of the President, consisting of representatives of the Presidency and representatives of all ministries that should deal exclusively with how Romania is perceived in the world.
The first time I have expressed my readiness to run for president was this spring. (...) The Romanians need to know that the president is not elected by the parties. The President represents all the people of a country.
The independent candidate has the advantage of not being indebted to anyone.
-It is very difficult for Iohannis to take this step (the presidency office of Romania) for which he is not ready
From SIE, into the "President’s Office". It is a mysterious political game that could place diplomat Meleşcanu at the top?
At SIE I was not the greatest spy of the country, but a manager. The service is mainly aimed at maintaining a close relationship between all state institutions. The Presidents of Parliament, the Prime Minister or the President, for example, would have much more information than I did, in the position held with SIE. It is an attractive topic at first, but in reality bears no relevance. The SIE was a parenthesis of my career in administration.
I have no regrets about my term in the office at SIE.
What Meleşcanu says about the relationship with Traian Băsescu:
I’ve had normal relations with Basescu. I’ve never had any conflict with any political person. I am able to hold a civilized dialogue, based on arguments.
I was not an officer, be it undercover or not.Related to the political statements, I am not allowed to have a say on it. I do have the obligation, on the other hand, to remind that disclosure is punished by the law. I want Romania to enter a state of normality, of legality.
There was a discussion between me and the President, my reply was in writing, which said that one cannot provide data about a person as being or not an undercover officer. I replied that I cannot provide such data because it is a crime. The discussion happened at the beginning of the year.
It is a problem with this mythology of the intelligence service. I do not care whether Robert Turcescu is or not an undercover officer. On behalf of SIE there is no undercover officer anywhere, I am saying it loud and clear.
We are in a difficult time. Divisions have brought nothing good. If we look at the investments we see that people are reluctant to do them , because there is no stability.
The model that I've had in mind was the Swiss one. We need a change of mindset, strategies, and continuity. There were traumas, they cut pensions, wages. If these traumas will not heal, we will roll down. Any agreement, even unfair, is better than a fair war.
There isn’t the idea of not allowing the opposition to enter the Parliament. It would mean that we are no longer a democratic country.
Maria Cociorvan, the 72 year old woman from Rădăuţi who was arrested by the special and taken to Bucharest, to the DNA because she gave bribes like eggs and chicken was the guest of Mihai Gâdea in the "President’s Office", along Teodor Meleşcanu.
The former Director of SIE stated that "a president cannot solve the problem of man, but must address the functioning of all state institutions."
What is Teodor Meleşcanu’s plan to change things in Romania?
"That the system should work in people’s favor as much as possible and not for the interests of others and for that there is only one solutions : appropriate legislation, modern, to be in accordance with the interests of citizens. Such legislation must be made by lawmakers," Meleşcanu said.
"The only way things could be brought on a normal course is the rule of law", he added.
The daughter of Teodor Meleşcanu, Marina, spoke about her father’s candidacy in the presidential elections, Thursday evening on Antena 3.
"The situation our country is in now, we need someone wise. I am not saying that age is a guarantee of wisdom, nor youth a guarantee that you are a good boy (...). I believe that we need a man that is balanced, weighted and a smart man. I believe that Romania needs an intelligent man like my father, " Melescanu’s daughter said.