The National Liberal Party’s National Council is meeting on Sunday at the Palace of Parliament to officially give the seal of approval to the presidential bid of former party chairman Crin Antonescu in the May election.

The meeting, which is due to start at 11:00 am, was convened following the decision of the PNL National Political Bureau meeting on January 13.

„As regards the designation of PNL’s candidate for the office of President of Romania, the Political Bureau decided by unanimous vote to convene for January 26 the statutory body that validates the contender, thus formalizing PNL’s backing for the candidacy of Mr. Crin Antonescu – the coalition’s joint presidential candidate. (…) We have confidence in Mr. Crin Antonescu’s qualities, in the experience he has gained, and the PNL will do everything possible in the pre-campaign and the campaign period, to communicate to the voters the reasons why we support this decision and for Mr. Antonescu to enter the second round and win the presidential election,” said PNL acting chairman Ilie Bolojan on January 13, after the meeting of the PNL National Political Bureau.

On December 23 last year, the PSD, PNL, UDMR leaders and the representative of the minorities signed the coalition protocol, and Bolojan announced on this occasion that former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu will be the coalition parties’ candidate for Romania’s presidency.

On January 21, the PSD National Political Council validated Crin Antonescu’s candidacy for the presidential run. According to Social Democrat Radu Oprea, the decision was also made to call an extraordinary party congress on February 2 to support Antonescu in the presidential election.

AGERPRES