Sorin Oprescu running "independently, supported by USL"

The General Mayor of the Capital, Sorin Oprescu, declared that he would run for a new mandate at the head of Bucharest independently, supported by the Social Liberal Union (USL) made up of the PSD and the PNL.

The announcement was made in a press conference held by the co-Presidents of USL, Ponta and Crin Antonescu, in which Sorin Oprescu also participated.

"I will run independently for the next elections, supported by USL", the Mayor stated.
Mayor Sorin Oprescu declared that "the partnership with USL is a moral one", underlying that "it is the team that matters, not the title".

"I am running, but will not sign anything today."

The agreement between PSD, PNL and Mayor Oprescu, named by its initiators "The partnership for Bucharest" was not accompanied by an official document.

"I am not signing anything today. When USL will want to make a final statement, then we will go on the moral signature of a partnership for Bucharest."

"It is a partnership of three, Oprescu, the Bucharest citizens and USL. The partnership with USL is a moral one and it is the team that matters, not the title", Sorin Oprescu said.

The PNL President, Crin Antonescu, declared, at the end of last month, that USL will not support the candidacy of Sorin Oprescu for a new mandate at the City Hall if he is not going to politically assume the USL logo.

In the case that he wins the Bucharest elections, the mandate of Sorin Oprescu could be shorter, as a few weeks ago he did not exclude that he could run for President in 2014.
PC is surely running for locals.

"PC has decided to run by itself for the local 2012 elections, across the country", the PC President, Daniel Constantin, announced on Monday.

He noted that his party would run separately at the 2012 local elections, for city halls and councellors, except the ones already negotiated within USL.

Constantin stated that the announcement about supporting Sorin Oprescu in Bucharest is just an intention expressed by Victor Ponta, and not an official decision of USL, because the proposal was not discussed and accepted at the Union level, as the protocol requires.
He also added that Crin Antonescu cannot sign either in the name of ACD without consulting the PC.

According to Constantin, the PC considers that an appropriate application for the USL in Bucharest would be Cristian Popescu Piedone and that the party still calls for this designation.

The PC leader added that for the Parliamentary elections in 2012 they will candidate together with PSD and PNL, according to the USL protocol.

Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University