“I have decided to withdraw my candidacy, because I don’t want to have a decorative role, to be a stunt in a film with a poor script, which, in my opinion, sparks wrong solutions.”

Nastase’s withdrawal leaves the door open to one of his supporters, vice-president Victor Ponta, who said from the very beginning that he saw his running in the race as an emergency solution, because he didn’t intend to run in the race. Former leader of the youth organisation of the Social Democratic Party and one of the youngest left wing ex-ministers, Ponta doesn’t lack the combative spirit which is highly praised by his supporters and which the opponents deem as annoying.

Pundits say it will be difficult for Ponta to quickly form a team with high chances of success, because Geoana’s yes men on the Executive committee have managed to introduce the vote on lists, according to which the winner takes it all: the future president will be the engine pulling some 15 vice-presidents, the first vice-president and the general secretary. The daily paper “Gandul” writes that Geoana has already won the “preliminaries” to the congress. On “the betting exchange”, Geoana is credited with higher chances, because apart from former ministers Miron Mitrea and Cristian Diaconescu, the list of his opponents includes picturesque figures, people who stand slim chances.

Other candidates are the mayor of Constanta, in the south-east, Radu Mazare who has been dubbed Radu Mazare del Rio, given his passion for samba and a young fellow from the provincial town of Dorohoi, in the north-east whose candidacy was announced by the honorary president of the Social Democratic Party, Ion Iliescu, who didn’t however mentioned his name. Other young Social Democrats from Dorohoi however told the media this man whose name hasn’t been disclosed was suspended from the party and was a little bit irrational.