Bucharest elects its first independent mayor

18/06/2008

Now that Bucharest has elected its first independent as mayor, the various political parties are talking about forming coalitions for the upcoming general elections.

By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest -- 18/06/08

Independent Sorin Oprescu is Bucharest's new mayor. [Gabriel Petrescu]

Independent Sorin Oprescu won Bucharest's mayoral runoff on Sunday (June 15th), beating Liberal Democrat Vasile Blaga by 57% to 43%, according to the Municipal Electoral Bureau (BEM).

"I was elected as an independent to this position; I am not interested in losing my independence, regardless of the offers," Oprescu said on Monday evening. He added, "Performance at City Hall, independence in the council and results in the field. These will guide my tenure

Among his priorities are turning Bucharest into an "IT city" by promoting public-private partnerships, developing roads and infrastructure, organising a referendum on the long-standing stray-dog issue, creating a master plan for attracting EU funds and turning Bucharest into a city "to live in, not just to inhabit".

Oprescu is a surgeon and professor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1998 and 2000. He has been a senator representing Bucharest for the last eight years. A mainstay of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Oprescu withdrew from the leftist party in April after 13 years amid internal dissension over determining the mayoral candidate. Nevertheless, the PSD backed Oprescu after the first round of elections.

Immediately after his victory was confirmed, Oprescu met with Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He explained they informally discussed projects he plans to implement in Bucharest.

His job at City Hall will not be easy, analysts say, mainly after the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) and the New Generation Party struck a deal Tuesday to form the majority in the capital's General Council, where the two parties will hold 28 of the 55 seats. Oprescu enjoys the support of only the 16 PSD and eight Liberal councilors. The nationalist Greater Romania Party (PRM), represented by three councilors, said it would refrain from joining either of the two alliances.

Analysts characterise local election results nationwide as dismaying for the PDL. Viewed as the main political party in Romania, it polled just under 30% nationally, roughly similar to the leftist PSD. President Traian Basescu's PDL was hoping to form the new government after the general elections this fall, but its poor performance may force it to forge coalitions.

Locally, the Liberals and the PSD have started negotiations to block the PDL in the local and county councils. Nationally, the PSD and the Conservative Party have already started negotiations on a future alliance that will run in the general elections.

The PDL won the mayoral races in 15 county seats, while the PSD and Liberals took 12 and seven, respectively. Overall, the PSD took the helm of 1,059 towns and communes, followed by the PDL (878 towns and communes) and the Liberals (680).