PSD and PNL held a new meeting to set the date of this year’s presidential elections, but it ended without the two parties reaching an agreement. The negotiations are tense, and the two sides have not been able to agree this time either. PNL would like to postpone the calendar originally set for September, arguing that summer is difficult to collect signatures for candidates, while PSD insists on elections in September.
The PSD walked out of negotiations with the version of the presidential elections in September, saying that the September 29 date for the 1st round would be a “concession” they are willing to make to the coalition partners.
“We cannot agree with the weekly transformation of the electoral calendar. It remains for Mr. Predoiu to decide during this week together with the PNL which of these dates is convenient”, said Lucian Romașcanu, PSD spokesperson, at the end of the failed negotiations on Tuesday, stating that the dates agreed by the PSD for the first round of the elections it’s September 15 or September 29.
“We cannot move the date of the elections because some will not make it to the second round,” he added.
Romașcanu appealed to the “honor” of the liberals, recalling that September 15 “was assumed by both parties in the spring”. He also said that, if there is a government meeting on Friday, the date of the presidential elections in September will have to be set in this meeting.
As for PNL, it wants presidential elections on time, in November, said PNL first vice-president Rareș Bogdan, proposing November 10 to 24.
Bogdan said that the agreement between the two parties regarding the organization of the presidential elections in September was linked to some conditions: to get more than 50% on the common list at the European Parliament and to go with candidates in tandem – one party to give the president, the other the prime minister.
If the first round will be on September 15, the second round will fall on September 29. If the first round will be on September 29, the second round will fall on October 13.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has already asked the Minister of the Interior Cătălin Predoiu to prepare the draft government decision regarding the presidential elections. He said last week that there are two dates under discussion for the first round of voting – September 15 or 29.