After rumours presented them as possible prime ministers nominated by Traian Basescu following the elections, PNL leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu and PSD leader Ioan Rus stated their support for Ponta.
“When it comes to nominating the prime minister, the president only has the democratic solution of appointing a prime minister of the political organisation that obtained the absolute or relative majority. All other interpretations are outside the Constitution,” the former Liberal premier told money.ro. Tariceanu (photo) did not want to leave room for any ambiguity and added: “If I will be the subject of this nomination, I will categorically refuse.” “I would not accept this nomination, because after 22 years of political career, I would discredit myself by accepting the nomination, as this would be against the rules of the game,” he explained. Tariceanu reminded that USL members agreed to give the position of prime minister to PSD, whose leader is Victor Ponta. A similar position was adopted by Cluj-based Social-Democrat Ioan Rus, who said on Romania TV that he is not interested, “under any circumstance,” by the position of prime minister. Moreover, Rus assured that, if Traian Basescu will nominate anyone else than Victor Ponta, he will join the efforts to suspend and impeach the president. “Currently I support Victor Ponta and I will further support him,” Rus stated. He, too, reminded that PSD is entitled to the position of prime minister, as ruled by the congress of the party, and any change could intervene only after another congress. “Nobody can nominate me for any position, not even as doorman at the Victoria Palace, except for the party I belong to, and then I will decide if I accept,” he mentioned, adding that the controversy over Traian Basescu appointing someone else as prime minister is false. “I never trusted the Cotroceni propaganda that hoped Tariceanu or Rus will be lured by the Basescu <<mermaid>>! I am happy to see that I was not wrong,” PM Ponta reacted on his Facebook page, where he also posted a link about the statement of former premier Calin Popescu-Tariceanu. Answering a question about the “short list” of USL premiers drawn by the president, Ponta said Tuesday, at Mioveni, that it only includes one person: “Victor Ponta, Ponta Victor and Victor Viorel Ponta.” “It is so short that it includes only me,” he mentioned. Speaking on Romania TV Tuesday evening, the PM said that his nomination for a new mandate of premier is not a personal ambition and would only be in line with the result of Sunday elections, if USL obtains over 50 pc of votes. “We entered the electoral campaign with a very clearly assumed offer for the people. Anyone who goes to vote for USL already knows that Victor Ponta will be the prime minister. ARD had a different strategy. The people that will vote for ARD this Sunday know that prime minister will be whoever will be nominated by Basescu, which is a stupid strategy. This is not about personal ambition. I am 40, I can wait to be prime minister later,” Ponta explained.President Traian Basescu said Monday that the way he will hold consultations at the Cotroceni Palace after the December 9 elections results from article 103 of the Constitution and the Law of Parties 14/2003, adding that it will not be the case of USL coming with a name. Later, Victor Ponta mentioned that he knows whom Basescu plans to appoint as chief of the government, but neither Ioan Rus, nor Liviu Dragnea, Calin Popescu Tariceanu or SRI Director George Maior (former PSD Senator) will accept the proposition.In an interview with RFI Romania, the first vice-president of PDL, Cristian Preda said Monday that Ioan Rus is a possible premier that could be designated after elections, as he “proved to be a responsible political leader during the recent crisis of this autumn, someone who did not deny his principles in order to please USL.” He asked the president to separately call for consultations the member parties of USL, in view of appointing a premier. “I regret that, last spring, he accepted to receive the USL. He should have stuck to this very rigorous interpretation and I hope he will do it now,” Preda explained.On the other hand, Rodica Culcer, a fierce supporter of Traian Basescu, wrote on her blog that, at the end of November, the Polling Institute IRES conducted a nationwide poll on the most appropriate premier, and George Maior is on the list. Culcer claims that IRES employees called her and asked her about the possibility that George Maior will be nominated prime minister.
