Tariceanu says most qualified for prime minister

The Liberal Reformist Party (PLR) chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu sees himself as the most qualified person to become the prime minister of Romania out of those cited by incumbent PM Victor Ponta as his possible successors in the event that he won the Nov. 16 presidential runoff.

When asked on the public television TVR 1 late on Wednesday whether he considers himself the most qualified of the three persons cited by Ponta as possible prime ministers — George Maior, Florin Georgescu and Tariceanu — the Senate speaker answered: 'I could answer your question without any hesitation: Yes! Having a certain political experience, an experience as a prime minister, an experience as a minister, parliamentary experience — but, well, in politics those that were most adequate did not always get to be presidents or prime ministers. So that these things must be analysed in a context'.

He stressed he supports Ponta unconditionally because he does not want 'the Basescu regime to go on'.

'I have said I support Victor Ponta unconditionally, no matter if I become premier or not. I do not want the Basescu regime to go on under a different form, but basically being the same regime ... I was a prime minister before. It is not a thing that I do not know. It is not a novel experience that I should say I want more than anything else, I am ready to do anything. I and my party fellows have a very clear political objective: to win the elections on November 16 and to then be able to look to the future', Tariceanu said.AGERPRES