Financiarul

President Traian Basescu will not take part in Wednesday night’s debates organised by the public television TVR with the presidential candidates because although it had originally been agreed for the discussion to be held among five candidates, later it was announced that seven presidential hopefuls will be invited, a member of Basescu’s campaign staff has told.

Sebastian Lazaroiu stressed TVR president-managing director Alexandru Sassu had attended the debates among the campaign staffs, when they agreed that five candidates would take part in TVR debates Wednesday night. However, later it was announced that seven candidates would take part and he stressed this was also a proposal from the Social Democrats.

The Romanian public television TVR, Realitatea TV and Antena 3 television channels have reached an agreement on Wednesday on holding a range of public debates with all the candidates in Sunday’s the presidential elections.

The first series of debates has been scheduled for Wednesday as follows: between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. invited to attend are Remus Cernea, Ovidiu Iane, Eduard Manole, Constantin Rotaru, Constantin Ninel Potarca, while from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. there will be debates among the main contenders Crin Antonescu, George Becali, Traian Basescu, Mircea Geoana, Kelemen Hunor, Sorin Oprescu and Corneliu Vadim Tudor.
According to the previous understanding, the five candidates to take part in the face-to-face debates were Traian Basescu, Crin Antonescu, Mircea Geoana, Kelemen Hunor and Sorin Oprescu.