ALDE to endorse incumbent Bucharest General Mayor Firea

National leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said Thursday that the first option of his party is to endorse incumbent Bucharest General Mayor Gabriela Firea of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) for a new term of office, but if no agreement is reached with PSD on joint tickets in the local elections in Bucharest, ALDE will file its own candidates.

"I could not say that they are really negotiations, we had talks, there are some milestones drawn, we still have time, we have not set another deadline for concluding the negotiations, but of course we will go into more details moving forward. We see as a first option a joint candidacy and joint tickets. (...) From discussions we have had so far with our partners - PSD and Pro Romania - it would be to endorse a common candidacy in the person of the incumbent mayor. That would be the first option. It depends on how negotiations will evolve. If we do not reach an agreement, ALDE will have its own candidate for the General City Hall and the district mayoralties," Tariceanu told a news conference on Thursday.

The ALDE leader claimed that the goal of a joint candidacy would be to win the Bucharest City Hall and district mayoralties.

Asked about the chances of the Pro Romania national leader running for the office, Tariceanu said: "Victor Ponta has a business card that could recommend him for a candidacy to the Bucharest City Hall (...) I can't I give you the answer. First of all, Mr Ponta must decide whether or not to take the step. A candidacy likely to succeed must also have the endorsement of PSD."