Romania’s electoral bureau on Sunday rejected far-right hopeful Calin Georgescu’s candidacy for the rerun of last year’s annulled presidential election, sparking outrage among his supporters in Bucharest.
Georgescu — a past admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an EU and NATO critic — shot to prominence almost overnight to unexpectedly win the first round of a presidential election in November last year, but in a shock move, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the ballot shortly before the second round was to be held in December, after claims of Russian meddling and a “massive” social media promotion of Georgescu.
The Romanian Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) in a statement on Sunday said that it had rejected “the independent candidacy” of Georgescu for May’s rerun.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The bureau said its rejection was based on the top court’s annulment of the November ballot.
It had ruled that Georgescu’s candidacy “doesn’t meet the conditions of legality” as it breached “the obligation to ... defend democracy, which is based precisely on fair, honest and impartial” elections.
Georgescu, who is leading opinion polls with about 40 percent of the vote, can challenge the decision at the Constitutional Court.
He denounced the move on social media as “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide.”
“Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny,” the 62-year-old wrote.
The BEC ruling sparked clashes between supporters of Georgescu and police in Bucharest, with authorities trying to disperse violent protesters with tear gas as at least two police officers suffered injuries.
Several hundred people gathered in front of the BEC’s offices on Sunday evening, shouting: “Down with dictatorship” while hurling Romanian flags.
“Following a decision of the Central Electoral Bureau, participants of a public gathering ... broke through the cordon of gendarmes in order to enter the headquarters of the institution,” a police statement said.
As tensions rose again after the BEC published its reasoning, the authorities told journalists to “go to a safe area,” as demonstrators used fireworks and threw objects.
Romania has been plunged into political turmoil since the first round of the presidential election, with Georgescu, who was barely known until then, bagging a surprise win. In a rare move for an EU member nation, its constitutional court annulled the vote following claims of Russian meddling.
Tens of thousands of Georgescu’s supporters have taken to the streets, while Romanian authorities have warned of “hybrid actions carried out by the Russian Federation to undermine democracy in Romania.”
Georgescu — who denies any links to Moscow — has denounced the annulment as a “formalized coup d’etat.”
Opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, he has presented himself as “ultra pro” US President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors last week indicted Georgescu on numerous charges, including making “false statements” over his campaign financing, as well as “instigation to actions against the constitutional order, in attempted form.”
He has been placed under judicial control, meaning he has to regularly report to authorities.
US Vice President J.D. Vance has criticized Romanian authorities for “canceling elections because you don’t like the result,” claiming they are “so afraid of your own people that you silence them.”
ANGER: A video shared online showed residents in a neighborhood confronting the national security minister, attempting to drag her toward floodwaters Argentina’s port city of Bahia Blanca has been “destroyed” after being pummeled by a year’s worth of rain in a matter of hours, killing 13 and driving hundreds from their homes, authorities said on Saturday. Two young girls — reportedly aged four and one — were missing after possibly being swept away by floodwaters in the wake of Friday’s storm. The deluge left hospital rooms underwater, turned neighborhoods into islands and cut electricity to swaths of the city. Argentine Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich said Bahia Blanca was “destroyed.” The death toll rose to 13 on Saturday, up from 10 on Friday, authorities
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
Two daughters of an Argentine mountaineer who died on an icy peak 40 years ago have retrieved his backpack from the spot — finding camera film inside that allowed them a glimpse of some of his final experiences. Guillermo Vieiro was 44 when he died in 1985 — as did his climbing partner — while descending Argentina’s Tupungato lava dome, one of the highest peaks in the Americas. Last year, his backpack was spotted on a slope by mountaineer Gabriela Cavallaro, who examined it and contacted Vieiro’s daughters Guadalupe, 40, and Azul, 44. Last month, the three set out with four other guides
Local officials from Russia’s ruling party have caused controversy by presenting mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine with gifts of meat grinders, an appliance widely used to describe Russia’s brutal tactics on the front line. The United Russia party in the northern Murmansk region posted photographs on social media showing officials smiling as they visited bereaved mothers with gifts of flowers and boxed meat grinders for International Women’s Day on Saturday, which is widely celebrated in Russia. The post included a message thanking the “dear moms” for their “strength of spirit and the love you put into bringing up your sons.” It
RSS