Romanian Social Democrat Nastase Reserved On Running For President In 2009

"But there is still time until a final decision is made in the party’s congress meeting. I’ll make my decision depending on the circumstances at that time,” Nastase said in Parliament.

 

Several local social democrat leaders asked party leader Mircea Geoana to run for president in 2009, sources within the party told MEDIAFAX.

They said Geoana didn’t reject the suggestion, but didn’t say he will run for president either.

 

The same sources added the party plans to order an opinion poll early spring to establish which of its potential candidates would have the best shot in the presidential elections.

 

According to the party’s statute, the party’s candidate for presidential elections is voted by the party’s congress.  

 

Nastase, who was confident in September about running for president, said Monday he is very reserved, saying a social democrat candidate wouldn’t have much of a shot under the current circumstances.

 

"Right now, I am very reserved when it comes to engaging in such a campaign for a very simple reason. As long as Traian Basescu has all the power strings to support a new campaign, from financial support to other, more complex, advantages, as long as PSD (social democrats) are in the government with PDL (democrat liberals), marking a difference between the two would be very complicated: how can you be an alternative if your party goes together (with Traian Basescu), and your colleagues attend defense council, internal and international meetings together?!" Nastase said, adding a social democrat candidate wouldn’t stand much of a chance to become president under these conditions.

 

Nastatse was recently indicted on charges of influence peddling in a corruption file. Prosecutors accused Nastase of using his authority as head of the social democrats to obtain illegal assets and money. Last year, the Romanian Parliament rejected a request from prosecutors to investigate corruption allegations against Nastase.