Liviu Dragnea, new chairman of Romania's main ruling party Social Democrat Party, speaks at the party's extraordinary congress in Bucharest, capital of Romania, Oct 18, 2015. The Social Democrat Party on Sunday unanimously validated the election of Liviu Dragnea as its new chairman. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)
BUCHAREST, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Romania's Social Democrat Party unanimously validated the elections of Liviu Dragnea as the main ruling party's chairman in an extraordinary congress on Sunday.
According to the resolution read out in the meeting, Dragnea obtained in the internal ballot, which took place a week ago, a number of 442,650 votes in favor out of the 457,764 votes cast by the party members.
For the first time, the party chairperson is not voted within a congress, but by all party members in a nationwide internal election. Dragnea was the only candidate for the position.
In Sunday's congress, Speaker of the Deputies Chamber Valeriu Zgonea was elected the executive chairman of the party, after getting absolute majority of the votes, while 14 candidates won from 21 who were racing for vice-chairman positions.
Dragnea reassured the Social Democrats attending the congress that the new leadership of the party will support "with the same force" staying at rule.
Dragnea, 53, is considered a powerful figure within the party. He has served as the secretary general, executive chairman and acting chairman. Dragnea had also held important posts in the government, such as interior minister and deputy prime minister.
