Romanian ex-Prime Minister Victor Ponta ousted from PSD following independent presidential campaign launch
Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta Launches Independent Presidential Bid
Victor Ponta, a former prime minister of Romania, has launched an independent bid for the upcoming presidential election on May 4, 2023. Ponta submitted his candidacy at the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) on Wednesday, despite previous statements from the current PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, that Ponta could not run for president as a Social Democrat.
Ponta's decision to run as an independent comes amidst claims of an unprecedented crisis in Romania. He suggested that authorities had canceled last year's elections and blocked certain candidates. Ponta's candidacy comes after the expulsion from the Social Democrats (PSD) that occurred during a meeting of the PSD's National Political Council on March 12, 2023.
The deadline for submitting candidacies for Romania's presidential election is March 15. Other notable candidates include the general mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, who has also been cleared to run in the elections. The governing coalition, which includes PSD, the Liberals (PNL), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR), and minority representatives, had already agreed on Crin Antonescu as their common candidate.
In addition to these candidates, far-right leaders George Simion (AUR) and Anamaria Gavrilă (POT) have announced their candidacies for Romania's 2025 presidential election. Simion and Gavrilă have stated that only one of them will remain in the race after their candidacies are officially validated.
The first round of Romania's presidential election is scheduled for May 4, with a potential runoff on May 18. However, as of now, there is no information available about an independent candidate for the presidential election on May 4, 2023, who is not listed among the mentioned candidates.
During his campaign, Ponta has expressed doubt over whether he would be allowed to run in the presidential election. He called for power to be returned "to the citizens," and vowed to make Romania "a home for all its citizens," including those living abroad. Ponta was dismissed from his role as an advisor to prime minister Ciolacu in February.
Inquam Photos has a photo source for George Călin, whose candidacy has been invalidated. The reasons for Călin's disqualification are not currently known. The presidential race in Romania is shaping up to be a hotly contested one, with several candidates vying for the top position.
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