PSD will not vote on the bill that would allow K. Iohannis to run on party lists in the parliamentary elections

PSD will not vote for the PNL legislative initiative that would allow President Iohannis to run as an independent candidate on party lists in the December parliamentary elections.

The decision was taken unanimously by Social Democrat leaders at today's National Political Bureau meeting.

In the meantime, the liberals, who need the votes of the PSD, have slowed down the procedure to amend the electoral law.

They are awaiting an opinion from the Central Electoral Bureau, which they have asked to rule on whether the president can run as a candidate without changing the law.

The Social Democrats consider that changing the law on the election of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate is not a priority.

Prime Minister and PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu said at the beginning of the meeting that his recommendation to Social Democrat senators and MPs is not to vote for the draft initiated by the Liberals, according to which the Romanian president, during the last three months of his mandate, can run as an independent candidate on the lists of a political party or alliance in the parliamentary elections of December 1.

The Legislative Council recently gave a favorable opinion on the PNL initiative, but with several observations.

According to the opinion, the institution considers that the President of Romania has the right to run for senator or deputy on the list of a political party, political alliance or electoral list, even in the absence of the envisaged rule.

The PNL bill should have entered the legislative circuit today for debate in the Senate, as the first body to be consulted.

However, the Liberals decided to ask the Central Electoral Bureau for an opinion on the amendment allowing President Klaus Iohannis to stand in the parliamentary elections.

Translated by: Radu Matei