Candidacies for the national chair of the Save Romania Union (USR ) will be submitted this week, and the first round of the internal elections will take place on June 24 and 25, according to USR spokesman Ionut Mosteanu.

The clarifications were made on Tuesday at a news conference, after the meeting of the party’s National Bureau convened following Catalin Drula resignation as USR national chair.

Mosteanu said that, under the USR statutes, unlike other parties, the national leader is elected by the vote of all members online. On the other hand, the National Bureau – the executive bureau, the collegial leadership structure of 24 members – is elected by the vote of the delegates of the party’s congress.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the National Bureau set the calendar of elections. Thus, during this week the candidacies for the leadership of USR will be submitted, and next week the internal campaign will take place. The first round of elections will take place on June 24 and 25, and a possible second round on June 27 and 28.

Mosteanu added that a „quick calendar” of the elections was established and that the party has to regroup for the next elections, so that around July 15 the collection of signatures for the presidential candidate can begin.

He went on to say that USR is „the only chance for development and modernisation” of Romania and that the United Right Alliance won a „good political score” in many localities.

He said that Drula’s resignation is „a gesture of honour, a gesture of a mature politician” and thanked him for the work done.

„I know him very well. I have been with him for many years, he is a good politician, a fair, courageous man, a man who will have a lot to say in Romanian politics from here on out,” he said.

AGERPRES