Sebastian Ghita, one of the richest members of Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) said that he will run together with Liviu Dragnea for the party’s leadership. PSD is currently the ruling party in Romania and has most members in the Parliament.

Ghita, who was recently suspended from his executive positions in PSD, will run for executive president of the party, the number two position in PSD currently held by Dragnea, while Dragnea himself will run for party president, to replace the current leader Victor Ponta, in case he gets elected the country’s President.

Sebastian Ghita, 35, is also probably one of the richest in Romania. According to his most recent wealth statement, which he submitted as a member of the Deputies Chamber in June this year, he had EUR 22 million in several bank accounts, one of them with UBS Switzerland, and some EUR 94 million personal loans to a former business associate. He also owns watches, jewelry and art objects worth some EUR 17 million. He made his fortune as founder and shareholder of IT distribution company Asesoft, which he formally sold when he entered politics.

Liviu Dragnea, 51, has become one of the strongest leaders in PSD in the last five years. He started as a “local baron” as he was president of the Teleorman County Council, from 2000 until 2012, when he was elected deputy in Romania’s Parliament. Teleorman county, located in Southern Romania, is one of the poorest in the country, but the Social Democratic Party always had very good results in the elections there. Starting December 2012, Dragnea has also been serving as minister of administration and regional development, and deputy prime minister in Ponta’s cabinet.

His possible counter candidates for PSD leadership might be Dan Sova, one of Victor Ponta’s close friends, and Valeriu Zgonea, the president of the Deputies Chamber.

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editor@romania-insider.com