The three parliamentarians of the Social Liberal Party (PSL) joined the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party (PD) on October 19. The PD faction is now composed of 11 MPs and is the third by size in the current Parliament. PSL leader Oleg Serebrian said that the decision to constitute a joint parliamentary group can be considered a first move towards the unification of the political centre. The recent initiative of the PSL to consolidate the political centre was backed by the PD and this shows that the Democrats are ready to support the Social-Liberals in their effort to reunify the Democratic Opposition, he said. The Social-Liberals have constantly pleaded for the unification of the Liberal parties and are aware of the harmfulness of the adventures in politics, of the dangers of launching political organisations with no or very small chances in the parliamentary elections of 2009. The fragmentation of the Democratic Opposition will undoubtedly lead to a disastrous result, identical to the one witnessed in 2001, Serebrian highlighted. The cited source said that the Social-Liberals regret that the idea of creating a joint Liberal political force is still unimplemented after 18 months, but it is not yet late and what was not realised in a limited circle would probably succeed in an extended one. The Social-Liberal parties could join forces with the Social-Democratic parties in a move to win the elections of 2009 and ensure a democratic and pro-European government at central level, Serebrian also said. For his part, the PD chairman Dumitru Diacov welcomed this step that comes to consolidate the political centre. Those that hoped to split up the Democratic Party failed in their attempts and intelligent people come to join the PD and will continue to do so. “The ones that play with fire, will burn themselves,” he said. Commenting on this statement, Speaker Marian Lupu said that today is a very important day because the Parliament celebrates not only birthdays (of two MPs born on October 19), but marriages too.