USR-PLUS accuse the Liberals of rigging opinion polls

The USR-PLUS Alliance has slammed both PM Ludovic Orban and the National Liberal Party (PNL) of releasing “rigged opinion polls in the hope of fooling the candidate, the party and voters”.

USR-PLUS members say that PNL has not learnt the lesson of the 2016 local elections and that it is acting like then when it had presented their candidate for Bucharest, Catalin Predoiu with 23-25% in the opinion polls and he had eventually obtained only 11% in elections.

If in Bucharest, USR-PLUS alliance has agreed with PNL to endorse a single candidate, Nicusor Dan for the Capital City Hall, in Constanta for instance opinions are still divided. Liberals are set to endorse Vergil Chitac, while USR – deputy Stelian Ion.

USR-PLUS representatives have accused PM Ludovic Orban for this situation, arguing that local elections due on September 27 have a huge stake: “after tens of years of PSD ruling, the right wing parties can win elections and can save cities from the plague called PSD“, reads a press release.

USR-PLUS says that the Liberal PM has released some ‘rigged opinion polls’ on the candidates of USR and PNL to run for Constanta mayor. “Orban made public some inaccurate information, presenting the PNL candidate for Constanta city hall with a false percentage of 30-35%, and USR-PLUS candidate, Stelian Ion, with only 12-14%”, reads the press release, with the USR-PLUS members argue that a potential alliance with PNL to endorse Stelian Ion would secure him 33 percent.

Barna-Orban talk on common candidatures in Bucharest

USR chairman Dan Barna has announced today that he will have a meeting with the Liberal chairman Ludovic Orban to talk about endorsing common candidates for the district city halls in Bucharest.

Sources from USR revealed early this week that there would be an agreement with the Liberals for the district city halls, according to which USR would get districts 1 and 2 and Liberals districts 3 and 6, while districts 4 and 5 are still at issue. However, this negotiation would have displeased Ana Ciceala, the USR candidate for the District 3 city hall and that a harsh exchange of words would have taken place between Ciceala and USR chair Dan Barna.