The members of the main ruling party in Romania, the Social Democratic Party, voted in internal elections to choose the party president. It was for the first time in the partys history that the leader was chosen directly, by the votes cast by over 500,000 party members and not by their representatives in Congress. The elections didnt produce any surprising results, as Liviu Dragnea, who had been interim party president for a couple of weeks, was the only candidate for the position. After the ballot, Dragnea said he would unhesitantly complete and comply with the commitments he had made, taking the risk of producing discontent among the Social Democrats. He has also said he will present a political program at the Social Democratic Party Congress, scheduled for October 18, making public his intention to touch upon both the achievements and mistakes made in recent years and to call for a vote of confidence for this political program. Liviu Dragnea:<\/p>\n
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\u201cI feel I have a huge responsibility, following this vote. On the one hand, I think I have the obligation not to repeat the mistakes that have been made within this party, of no longer making compromises that have eroded this party, of doing everything in my power for this party to truly represent the Romanian left wing, for this party to assume and observe the fundamental principles of the left wing: solidarity, social justice, equality of chances, as well as social and economic progress<\/em>.<\/p>\n
The winner of the internal elections in the Social Democratic Party and his new leadership team will be validated at the party congress due later this week. Attending will also be the founder of the party, Ion Iliescu. The honorary president of the Social Democratic Party, Ion Iliescu, has criticised the way the Social Democrats decided to elect the new party president. In his opinion, calling to the polls all party members, to elect their leader, was reminiscent of the communist times.<\/p>\n
In Congress, Prime Minister Victor Ponta will present a report on his term at the helm of the Social Democratic Party, a position that he left vacant in order to solve his legal problems. Prosecuted by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Victor Ponta is accused of forgery in deeds under private signature, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering in a file on the conclusion of legal assistance contracts for the energy companies Turceni and Rovinari in southern Romania. The new president of the Social Democratic Party isnt exempt from legal problems either. Liviu Dragnea received a one-year suspended sentence for having influenced voting in the 2012 referendum for the impeachment of the then president, Traian Basescu. The appeal in this case is scheduled for November.<\/p>\n
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