Viorica Dancila determined to soldier on as PSD Chair

Outgoing Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday evening that she will not step down as Chair of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) because she cannot leave her team during hard times. 

"I must stay at the helm of the party until after the presidential election. (...) I have no intention to resign. I never give up on my team when we are going through more difficult times. I was elected at a congress, I can only be replaced by a congress. I didn't resign as prime minister when we were having some very tough times, there have been some very difficult periods when Victoria Square was packed [with protesters], when I was facing a barrage of slurs and yet I did not yield. I am not allowed to surrender now. I've been with this party through the difficult period after the European elections and the arrest of the party leader. And I pledged then to keep this party united and I succeeded," Viorica Dancila told broadcaster RTV. 

She announced that she will tour all the local organizations and request the vote of the National Executive Committee to have the "traitors" expelled from the party. 

"When I took over the PSD chairmanship I said 'I am not afraid of the opposition, I am afraid of the insiders' and now I was proven right. (...) I hereby channel many of my colleagues who phoned me today to say let all those who want to leave go join Ponta's party, the party of traitors. We will carry on because we have a presidential election to win, to strengthen the party and check the lists for the parliamentary and local elections," Dancila said. 

She added that the event for the formal launch of her presidential campaign will take place on Saturday, as announced, and that she will not withdraw from the presidential race as this is the only chance for the party to regroup, grow and win the local and parliamentary elections.