Ruling party sets extraordinary congress on October 11

The interim chairman of the ruling Social Democrat Party, Liviu Dragnea on Tuesday announced that most of the social democrat county organizations voted that the extraordinary congress should be convened on October 11.

PSD National Council had initially established that the Congress would be held on November 15, the same date being confirmed when Dragnea was designated as interim leader after PM Victor Ponta resigned from the party’s helm.

However, more local organizations and leaders have asked lately for the congress date to be brought forward in October.

The congress will elect the party’s leadership, including the president.“Most of the county organizations, as well as other colleagues have asked for the extraordinary congress to be held in the first half of October, arguing the party should get ready for the local elections and a serious analysis on deciding the candidacies is needed by December 1 this year. At the end of debates, we decided to propose the National Executive Committee to hold the congress on October 11,” Liviud Dragnea said.

According to him, the congress will also vote the party’s political program, the governmental targets for 2016 and PSD position on the main sectors.

The interim president also said that the Statute committee would have to decide on the best way to elect the party’s chairman by Monday.

“My proposal was that all party members should cast their votes on Friday, October 9 so that the data should be collected on Friday night and Saturday and we should have a result by Sunday,” Dragnea added.

As for him running for the president position, Dragnea said he would announce if he ran next Monday.

PM Victor Ponta informed this summer he would not run for a new party president term.