Diacov offers first places on PD's ticket to Lupu and co.

Dumitru Diacov has surrendered the presidency of the Democratic Party (PD) and the first slots on the party's electoral ticket to ex-speaker Marian Lupu and his team, Info-Prim Neo reports. “It's time that a fresh generation of politicians, new, unstained, intelligent, responsible and reasonable people come to the party with solutions for the future of the country”, said the current PD leader Dumitru Diacov at a news conference on Wednesday. “This project is not a satellite to the Communists, but a genuine project devised by two persons: Marian Lupu and Dumitru Diacov”, he added. Though Lupu negotiated with more than one party before joining the PD, the former speaker said he chose Diacov's offer because “it's the only party that demonstrated political maturity and transparency and is ready for a generation change”. Also on Wednesday, the national assembly of the PD elected Igor Corman, a former ambassador recently recalled from Germany, as the party's vice president. Ex-economy minister Valeriu Lazar was elected as secretary of the PD. At the same time, the party adopted its ticket, headed by Marian Lupu. The following positions are occupied by Valeriu Lazar, Igor Corman, Andrei Popov (director of the Foreign Policy Institute) and Adrian Candu (also a member of Lupu's team). Dumitru Diacov comes at 6, followed by Oleg Serebrian at 7. Oazu Nantoi stands as low as at 15. If it wins seats in Parliament, the PD will propose its own candidates for president, speaker and prime minister, said Lupu, adding that these candidacies will not be subject to negotiation with either right or left wing parties. “It's their choice to accept them or not”, he declared. No changes in the center-left and social-democratic views of the party will be made with Lupu's coming. Lupu also promised the PD's program and campaign slogan will be ambitious but sound, and will be made public on an unspecified future date.