Pro Romania's Ponta: PSD would never let their leader not run; Dancila to be PSD's candidate

Pro Romania Chairman Victor Ponta stated on Monday that Prime Minister Viorica Dancila proposed him to endorse the Social Democratic Party's (PSD) candidate in the presidential elections and he said that there hadn't been a negative or positive response because he wanted to know what the plan was "in view of things unfolding well." 

Ponta argued on the TVR 1 national television channel that in the meeting of the PSD's National Executive Committee (CExN), Viorica Dancila would be proposed as the candidate to run for president. He added that the dialogue eould continue, "if necessary," adding that a candidate endorsed by the PSD, the Pro Romania and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) would get to the runoff voting of the presidential elections. 

"We haven't met in a three-person format. (...) Mrs. Dancila called me in order to see me. Of course, I met Mrs Dancila. Why not meet her? After I saw Mrs Dancila, we had spoken some time ago, when I was on vacation, I met Mr Tariceanu. Afterwards I met with my colleagues, with Mihai Tudose, Sorin Cimpeanu. It wasn't about: let's sit down and find a solution. I even said it publicly that we have two problems. One, it doesn't work that way with the governance. (...) I said: you have to restructure a public administration which everybody hates. (...) The second, the candidacy part. If we all [submit] our candidacies, we will fight for the 3rd place. Afterwards, between the first and the runoff voting we will live a difficult moment. We shall be asked who do we vote with," Ponta stated. 

Victor Ponta stated that Viorica Dancila told him that she wanted the Pro Romania party to endorse the PSD candidate, and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said that he wanted support for himself. 

"Firstly, Mrs Dancila told me in private what she also said publicly, that she would want us to endorse one candidate, but, certainly belonging to the PSD. Mr. Tariceanu says: I want to endorse one candidate, namely him. And I say: explain to me why should I do it. Mrs Dancila's argument was so that one candidate enter the runoff voting," Ponta stated. 

When asked what he responded to PM Dancila, Ponta stated: "At the moment, there isn't a positive or negative response. Firstly because I cannot decide alone, I have to talk to those I started this road with, with Pro Romania, with Daniel Constantin, Sorin Cimpeanu. (...) And secondly, I want to know what is the plan, so that things go well." 

Ponta estimated that Viorica Dancila would be proposed as the candidate to run for president in the PSD's CExN meeting, on Tuesday. 

"The CEx meeting takes place tomorrow, the two ladies will be fighting. It's very clear to me what will happen, because I went through this. (...) The Social Democrats would never let their leader not run. (...) Mrs Dancila won't get away, she will be the candidate. I believe that she will run. I believe that the CEx meeting will endorse Dancila, because she is the party leader and I believe that she will run," Victor Ponta added. 

He mentioned that he doesn't think Gabriela Firea will run independently and that the ALDE leader Calin Popescu-Tariceanu told him that he would run for president. 

"I don't think that Firea will run independently and she will be making a mistake running independently because we have the precedent of Sorin Oprescu," Ponta stated. "I presume that the CEx overwhelming majority will endorse the leader's proposal. The PSD is a disciplined party. I believe Dancila will run. I don't know what Mr Tariceanu will do. Today, he said that he will run. He was very firm," Pro Romania leader added. 

He disclosed telling Tariceanu that Pro Romania and the ALDE couldn't endorse each other, as long as the ALDE is at rule and Pro Romania is in Opposition. 

In Ponta's view, the PSD would have won with a different candidacy that these, because they "also have a negative baggage."