President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that choosing two candidates for the local elections in Bucharest is not a success for the coalition.

„Certainly, it is not a great success of the coalition, to put it that way, but otherwise I prefer not to comment on the coalition’s decisions in terms of the candidates chosen and the way they will position themselves. The coalition discussions were held yesterday and last night, as far as I understand. I wasn’t there to be, so to speak, in direct contact. I learned the results,” Iohannis told a press conference in the Republic of Korea.

He mentioned that it is important that the electoral race in Bucharest does not reflect on the activities of the government.

„It is important that this solution of separate candidates in Bucharest does not lead to electoral battles within the coalition that would reflect negatively on the Government’s activity and I believe that there is the capacity in the two parties to separate local elections from the Government’s activity. I think everyone remembers that I encouraged the creation of this coalition, because we needed a stable government, a government with a serious majority in Parliament to get Romania through all the successive crises that we have had; which has happened. So the goal of this coalition was stability and getting through the crisis, which it did. As such the objective has been achieved. But I think this coalition still has potential in the future. Of course, now, in the midst of electoral campaigns, it will be a bit more complicated to maintain good understanding at the maximum level,” Iohannis said.

The president stressed that he was not involved in the coalition negotiations on the names proposed for the Capital. At the same, he did not want to express his opinion on the candidates.

„I would not like to speculate now about the chances of one candidate or another. I was not involved, before or now, in the coalition negotiations on the candidates and how they stand, but I was informed at the end of the negotiations. (…) I do not comment on such things (the proposed candidates – ed. note), no offence. I don’t think it is the president’s job to characterize former, possible or future candidates. (…) I did not want to enter into these discussions, so I was not consulted, because I did not want to,” the head of state added.

The coalition decided on Monday night to propose separate candidacies for mayor, respectively Gabriela Firea – the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Sebastian Burduja – the National Liberal Party (PNL), in order to maximise the electorates of the two parties, according to political sources.

The sources said that the two candidates for mayor will not attack each other in the campaign, but will have a constructive campaign, focused on solutions for Bucharest.

The decision was made after a meeting of the governing coalition that started on Monday, around 10,00 hours, which lasted more than 13 hours and which focused on whether to further support the candidacy of Dr. Catalin Cirstoiu for the post of Bucharest mayor.

AGERPRES