In aftermath of PSD leadership election, Dragnea blasts victimhood game of unsuccessful office seekers

Leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Tuesday evening during a televised show that the reason why party heavyweights Ecaterina Andronescu, Codrin Stefanescu or Nicolae Banicioiu have been left out of the new PSD leading team is that congress delegates did not approve of their public attitude.

"In my opinion, the main reason why they did not win or get any position was that the delegates were upset that just short before our congress, some of our colleagues came out publicly with ugly statements about the party and were trying to provoke a scandal, whilst our voters, our members, and as far as I believe, most of the Romanians are fed up with scandals," Dragnea said in a show aired at private broadcaster Antena 3.

The PSD leader expressed his bewilderment at the "scandal" and "victimhood show" put up by Andronescu, Stefanescu and Banicioiu.

"I was expecting these colleagues of ours, Mrs. Andronescu, Mr. Codrin Stefanescu, Mr. Nicolae Banicioiu, if they wanted to run for office as they said, to simply submit their candidacy files as did all the others who sought a position. I don't know, and nobody understood why we would have needed this scandal and all this victimhood show, given that it's the party's Executive Committee that approves all candidacies and they have all been approved. So they were entered on the ballot papers," Liviu Dragnea said, underscoring that the vote had been democratic.

"Democracy is first and foremost a vote to confer legitimacy. The vote is cast by delegates. It's not me the one to name or block someone, I never did this," the PSD Chairman said.AGERPRES(RO - author: Cristian Lupascu, editor: Antonia Nita; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Maria Voican)