Chairman of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) George Simion and leader of the Young People’s Party (POT) Ana Maria Gavrila announced on Wednesday that they will both file their candidacies for the May presidential election and that one of them will withdraw after they are validated.

„We need to return to normality and to the second round. After the meeting we, the chairs of the two sovereignist parties, had with Mr. Calin Georgescu, we can tell you what our plan is. We will strongly push for the rerun of the second round, we – the youth – will continue this sovereignist movement with Mr. Calin Georgescu’s approval, and we will take the necessary further steps,” Simion wrote on Facebook.

In her turn, Ana Maria Gavrila announced that she too will join the presidential race.

„Both George Simion and I, Ana Maria Gavrila, will submit our candidacies. We need you by our side. When these candidacies get the final OK, one of us will withdraw,” Gavrila said.

The AUR leader called for „everyone’s involvement” in collecting signatures.

„Time is very short, therefore everyone’s involvement will be needed in collecting signatures. We stand together, there is no other solution, we are following through to the end, as we promised you, the Romanian people,” Simion explained.

According to the presidential election calendar, the registration or rejection of the candidacies or electoral signs must happen within a maximum of 48 hours from submission, on March 17 at the latest. AGERPRES