PM Dancila: If the party asks me to run in the presidential elections, I will accept

The PSD (Social Democratic Party) leader, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, on Thursday has stated that, if the party asks her to run in the presidential elections she will do it. However, at this point, her option is to rather endorse "another candidate." "I haven't considered this yet, I just thought we are going to support another candidate and I, as a Prime Minister, Chairperson of the PSD, I will support this other candidate to win the presidential elections. But I wouldn't want anyone to believe I am a coward. If the party asks me to run in the presidential elections and believes this is the only solution, then I will accept what the party says. However, at this point, I believe it will be best to have another candidate. For us it's important to back the persons that enjoy the trust of the party and who will be supported by all organisations, who will create that wave of trust we keep talking about, both among our members and among our sympathizers, but also among other citizens, for I hope we will get a good score," said Dancila, at DC News, when asked if she believes it's normal for the PSD leader to also be the candidate to run in the presidential elections, even when she is also the Prime Minister. She also added that the PSD is an organised party, which knows what to do in an electoral campaign. "We know how to speak to people, what to say to people, for we took good measures, but, at the same time, we need other people to join us. And maybe we made mistakes, for we didn't speak to the young enough or to the multinationals, diaspora. Yes, we must come with messages and good things for other segments than the ones we have prioritized until now." When asked again if she would accept a possible proposal from the PSD Congress to run in the presidential elections, Viorica Dancila said: "If there is no other option to take us to the second round, so that we can win the elections, if the party asks for it, I won't step back, but, as I said, my option right now is to back another candidate." AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Cristina Zaharia, editor: Adina Panaitescu)