PRO Romania's Ponta says court may overrule gov't assuming responsibility for mayoral elections

PRO Romania national leader Victor Ponta said in Craiova on Thursday that the government passing legislation on two-round mayoral elections by assuming responsibility for it before Parliament could be overruled by the Constitutional Court (CCR) as there are less than six months until the local elections.

Ponta added that Prime Minister Ludovic Orban made the discussion "probably pushed by President Iohannis."

"It is very important when Orban's courage comes up. Every day he claims to change the system, but his courage dies in the evening. Yesterday we learned that he will issue an ordinance today. Today his courage has died. I want to tell you one thing about the matter with two-round elections for city halls and county councils: should Ludovic Orban want them, he could have had them from day one. If he calls them now, after all, probably pushed from behind by Mr Iohannis and others, he has a problem, because the Constitutional Court might overrule him. Had he wanted to have the elections he would have called them last November, as there were more than six months before the scheduled elections," Ponta said.

He also said that PRO Romania will devise its strategy for the local elections.

"Depending on the system I do not know we devise our strategy, but for large cities the PRO Romania strategy is very clear: I want us to come up with candidates who will mean a future for that city, not the past. Who still wants the past?," added Ponta.