The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) branch in Bucharest managed yesterday to prevent Sorin Oprescu from running in the Bucharest mayor election and chose Cristian Diaconescu instead, for this party branch succeeded in defeating the opposite side. The failing talks with Sorin Oprescu, who wouldn't give up, made the Bucharest Social-Democrats go for the PSD vice president Cristian Diaconescu to make sure the Executive Committee would approve of this choice. Miron Mitrea and Marian Vanghelie announced they were giving up and no longer wished to be candidates. Ion Iliescu was the only one to object and once again ask for explanations on why Sorin Oprescu was no longer an option. And the Executive Committe consented to the new proposal at once. According to party sources, the Social-Democrats were busy with intense negotiations before deciding on the PSD candidate o the Bucharest City Hall. The first talks involved Sorin Oprescu, Mircea Geoana, Miron Mitrea, Marian Vanghelie and Viorel Hrebenciuc. One PSD member comments: "It was actually the last attempt to persuade Sorin Oprescu into not running as independent candidate. They tried to make him understand he was not the candidate representing the party." But Sorin Oprescu wouldn't hear it and he waited for the Executive Committee's decision. He reminded them that his poll rate was good and that the Bucharest branch couldn't be hostile to him, since he had been a president of it. During the talks he was reproached for harming the party and being under Ion Iliescu's influence. Midnight talks The failure of talks made Marian Vanghelie's group think about the surprise candidate. Miron Mitrea agreed to step back and Cristian Diaconescu was summoned to talks. He had been taken into account a few weeks before, but there had been no final meeting on it. One Bucharest Social-Democrat mentions: "He feared he would go through what Mircea Geoana went through in 2004. We explained things were totally different, since he had 100% support from the Bucharest branch and he was standing great odds to succeed." The candidate is said to have been told that the branch wanted him a candidate and that he was no solution decided by the main party leaders. Cristian Diaconescu was also shown a poll rating the PSD with 30% in Bucharest. "The dice was already cast", another Bucharest Social-Democrats comments. (...)

Cristian ANDREI