PSD might consider poll-tested outsider for presidential candidate

The Social Democratic Party (PSD), major at rule, might get an outsider for its presidential candidate, according to its acting national chair Viorica Dancila. "We have to establish several things [at the party's congress convention]. First, we have to change the statutes with regard to the election of the party's national chair. Second - we have to come up with a political manifesto. Third - we have to come up with changes or things which have learned from these elections [of May 26] which we have to translate into our governance programme. In other words, I believe that we must provide legitimacy to the leadership to be responsible for the outcome of the presidential election. This congress convention should be one preceding the designation of the presidential candidate for the presidential election. Why so fast? Because time is pressuring us, as you know, on 11 August, we already begin collecting signatures for the presidential candidate (...) We will get the opinion polls rolling to see who of our male and female colleagues want to run in the presidential race. When we have the person to match the profile of a candidate the voters want and who fares well in the polls, then we will decide," the PSD leader said at the end of a meeting of the party's National Executive Committee (CExN). Asked if it is a good option for PSD to get an outsider for their presidential candidate, Dancila said: "We are considering such option as well. Of course, we will make the final decision within the National Executive Committee. At this meeting of CExN there were a lot of talks, all of our colleagues talked, we wanted everyone's opinions, precisely to make the best decision, and the vote was the one that set the way we'll go." According to her, the party's government manifesto certainly has to be adapted. "I cannot tell you anything right now, but I can say that we have considered all the things that we have to transpose in each field, some to keep, new ones to add, but at the same time we have to take into account the score we got in the elections for the European Parliament and to address other people, too," added Dancila. Regarding the date of the congress convention, she said that she had to take into account the vote of the majority of PSD's CExN. "I can guarantee that I take nobody's order. My only order is from PSD, from the statutory bodies. (...) The decision was made by the vote of the majority. (...) The opinion that matters is the one that is supported. Had the result not been for convening the congress, then I would have taken that into account. I have to listen to the majority," the acting PSD leader said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Catalina Matei, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)