Premium
Spokesman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Varujan Vosganian said on Tuesday that the Alliance will "almost certainly" nominate its leader Calin Popescu-Tariceanu as presidential candidate.
"We have a meeting tomorrow and it's almost certain that we will nominate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu as our candidate for the Presidency of Romania, in accordance with the opinion polls and with our preliminary agreements with the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Calin Popescu-Tariceanu is the only one capable to coalesce votes from several parties, from several ideological spectrums, and the only one with real chances to defeat Iohannis," Vosganian told private broadcaster Antena 3.
He added that ALDE was "disappointed to learn" of the decision of PSD's National Standing Bureau to appoint Viorica Dancila as presidential candidate.
"I have the puzzling feeling that the PSD doesn't want to be an important player in this presidential campaign, it might be that PSD has other priorities than winning the presidential seat. I am surprised that Mrs. Dancila speaks about responsibility exactly at the moment when PSD has broken the promises it made in the coalition as regards the procedure for the appointment of the presidential candidate. As a matter of course, PSD and ALDE should each have made an option of their own that should have then been compared in the polls. No poll pitting Ms. Dancila against Mr. Tariceanu shows Mrs. Dancila as having the first chance," said Vosganian.
He added that ALDE has lost confidence in PSD's fairness and is now asking for additional guarantees.
"We carry on with ruling, but we have lost confidence in the fairness of our partner, the PSD, and we'll need additional guarantees regarding the restructuring of the Cabinet, the government's priorities and also the internal procedures of the coalition," the ALDE spokesman said.
PSD national leader Viorica Dancila was nominated by the party's National Standing Bureau the Social Democrats' candidate for President, sources said. The decision must be validated in PSD's National Executive Committee.
