Romania’s ex-President Basescu may run in the parliamentary elections in Moldova

Traian Basescu, Romania’s former President and the current head of the National Movement Party (PMP), considers running in the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova if he gets his Moldovan citizenship back, said Anatol Salaru, the executive president of Moldova’s National Unity Party (PUN), reports Deschide.md. Basescu was elected honorary president of PUN in late June this year. According to Anatol Salaru, the former Romanian President will be actively involved in PUN’s electoral campaign. “If Basescu will get the citizenship, he will run for the position of deputy and will be elected president of the party. We'll be campaigning with him,” said Salaru. Traian Basescu and his wife asked for the Moldovan citizenship in March of last year, and received the citizenship three months later, in early June. However, Moldova’s President Igor Dodon signed in January this year the decree to remove the Moldovan citizenship of Basescu. The former Romanian President challenged Dodon’s decision in court. Similar to PMP, the Romanian party currently led by Traian Basescu, PUN’s main political objective is the union of Moldova with Romania. Moldova will organize parliamentary elections in 2018. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com