Codrut Seres Is the RHP Candidate for Romania’s Presidency

The National Council of the Romanian Humanist Party (RHP) elected on Saturday Codrut Seres, 36, as its candidate for the November presidential elections. Seres is a former secretary-general of the RHP, and was recently elevated to the position of vice-president.

Dan Voiculescu, the president of the RHP, proposed Codrut Seres to run for Romania’s presidency. Voiculescu said that the party considered three options for this candidacy: an academic, a member of the Romanian emigration abroad, or a young man. The first two options were discarded as the right people could not be found, said Voiculescu.

"We suggest Romanians to go for a different kind of president: energetic, well-educated and not tainted by the communist past. People have enough of the kind of politics they have seen in the past 15 years. They want something new. The RHP gives them this option, and provides new alternatives from the candidate for the presidency to the way we understand and relate to the problems people have," said Voiculescu.

For his part, Seres said that: "he strongly believes that Romania is able to have a modern president, young, uncorrupted, that can turn around the Presidency and give the office a new, modern, European look."

Seres thanked his mother for the education and the values she instilled in him and said that this make him feel certain he will be up to the task that has been assigned to him.

Seres also said that his campaign for the Presidency and the one of the RHP for the general elections in November will be jointly conducted, and that their chief strategist will be the RHP leader, Dan Voiculescu.

Seres did not rule out, however, the party employing three Austrian electoral consultants with whom the RHP still conducts negotiations.

The National Council of the RHP also examined the results of the local elections.

The final count showed the party getting 2,443 mandates in local councils, 73 mandates in county councils, and 123 mayors’ seats. Following subsequent negotiations the party earned four positions as presidents and 14 positions as vice-presidents of county councils. The RHP candidates got the best results in counties Prahova, Hunedoara, Galati and Bacau.

"I think the time has come to leave modesty aside for a while and have a taste of our victory. I am extremely moved that the party reached the position it holds today: a party which holds now the balance of power, as things cannot be decided in Romania without it," said Voiculescu.

The National Council organized the RHP League of Mayors and Councilors, which is to be led by Romeo Stavarache, elected mayor of Bacau city. It had also been decided the organization of Local Consultative Councils, as a means of direct consultation with the citizens on issues pertaining to local administration.

The National Council of RHP also made changes at the top. Five new vice-presidents had been appointed: Codrut Seres, Florin Anghel, Victor Mocanu, Dumitru Buse and Bogdan Pitigoi.

The party’s secretary-general, replacing Seres, is now Sanda Paduraru, 32, while the new party spokesman is Bogdan Pitigoi, 27, who replaces Bogdan Pascu.

It was also set up the Chancellery of the RHP President, headed by Daniela Popa; one of its departments will deal with public image issues and will be headed by Mona Nicolici (TR. NOTE: television anchor and former candidate of the RHP to the mayor’s seat in one of the six districts of Bucharest).

The National Council also elevated its membership from 183 seats to 323, the number of seats in the Permanent Bureau - from 84 to 86, and the number of seats in the Political Bureau - from 13 to 19.

Starting today, citizens would be able to meet the RHP Caravan, which will be on the road starting with Satu-Mare (Tr. NOTE: city in north-western Romania) and travel all over Romania by September. The RHP representatives traveling on the Caravan will aim to meet with lay citizens, and collect their problems; so that the information thus gathered to found the program the party and the presidential candidate will base their electoral campaigns on.

"The party’s Caravan will not have any preconceived recipe for action. It will take in the issues the people from different regions bring in. I think that the most important thing for a politician is to not lose contact with the people who voted for him or whose vote he is requesting," said Seres.