The independent candidacy of a rich general councilor, rejected in the elections for Bucharest mayor's office. The BEM explanation
Photo: Goorge Călin/Inquam Photos
A total of 21 candidacies were submitted for the partial elections at the Bucharest City Hall, of which 18 were admitted and three were rejected, including that of Dan Cristian Popescu.
The period for submitting candidacies for the December 7 election ended on Monday, and on Tuesday the Electoral Office analyzed the file submitted by Dan Cristian Popescu.
BEM rejected Popescu's registration in the electoral race considering that he “submitted an independent candidacy proposal for the position of general mayor of the municipality of Bucharest, although he is a member of the Social Democratic Party, also having the position of general adviser of the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest from the PSD side”, according to Agerpres.
“The Electoral Office of Constituency No. 42 – Bucharest Municipality appreciates that the meeting within the same person, simultaneously, of both the quality of general councilor of the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest from the Social Democratic Party, and the quality of independent candidate is not possible within the same electoral process. In this sense, the position currently held by Mr. Popescu Dan Cristian contradicts the very idea of independent candidacy (…)”, the BEM's reasoning states.
Dan Cristian Popescu is a former deputy and former vice mayor of Sector 2. He went through PNL, PNȚCD and Forța Civică before reaching PSD, according to Buletin de Bucharest. According to his wealth declaration, he owns eight apartments, five of which are in Bucharest and three in Florida, a house, four plots of land, a Lexus and a collection of jewelry and watches worth more than 250,000 euros. He declared substantial rental, interest and dividend income.
According to a statement sent by the BEM, of the 18 candidates admitted to the electoral race, 10 are candidates supported by the parties they belong to: Cătălin Drula (USR), Ciprian Ciucu (PNL), George Burcea (POT), Daniel Băluță (PSD), Mihai Lasca (PPR), Ana Ciceală (SENS), Oana Crețu (PSDU), Rareș Lazar (Romania in Action), Liviu-Gheorghe Florea (PNȚ Maniu-Mihalache), Gheorghe Macovei (PRM).
On the list of independent candidates are Virgil-Alexandru Zidaru (Makaveli), Dănuț-Angelo Trifu, Eugen Teodorovici, Gigi Nețoiu, Vlad Gheorghe, Angela Negrotă and Constantin Tițian Filip.
They are joined by Anca Alexandrescu who, although she is running as an independent, is supported by the Alliance “Dreptate pentru Bucharest”, made up of AUR and PNȚCD.
In addition to the candidacy of Dan Cristian Popescu, two others were rejected, namely Dumitrică Stan and Maria Marcu.
BEM's decisions can be contested by citizens, political parties, political alliances and electoral alliances, within 24 hours at most from the date of posting the candidacy.
Nominations remain final on November 23.
