The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
Romania Court Starts Proceedings
Bucharest | 11 December 2009 |
Romania's Constitutional Court on Thursday started legal procedures after the country’s opposition filed a complaint contesting the outcome of Sunday's presidential election runoff.
In the elections, incumbent Traian Basescu narrowly defeated the opposition leader Mircea Geoana. The vote gave Basescu 50.3 per cent against Geoana’s 49.7 per cent. The poll outcome was a reversal of earlier exit polls Sunday night that showed Geoana in the lead, again by less than one per cent.
Social Democrats claim there was a suspiciously high number of voided ballot papers, and accused Basescu of organising “massive electoral tourism” by transporting people between polling stations to vote several times in different locations.
Judges said they will rule in one to three days, though a spokesperson from the court said proceedings may take a lot longer. Lengthy legal proceedings would further prolong Romania’s political limbo, which is already postponing the start of inter-party talks aimed at drawing a coalition cabinet.
Separately, a parliamentary committee has questioned the chief of one of Romania's secret services over allegations that his agency was involved in alleged fraud in Sunday's elections.
The opposition Social Democrats alleges that Marcel Opris provided software to the Liberal Democrats, who support President Traian Basescu, which enabled them to access voting figures data.
Opris denied the allegations and on Thursday called them "a grave attack on the agency", which monitors all telecommunication networks for the president, government, parliament and top judges, according to media.
Geoana has said he will respect the court ruling but has refused to work with Basescu afterwards.
Traian Basescu has been unable to oversee the appointment of a new government since October, when the government headed by current caretaker Prime Minister Emic Boc, collapsed. Opposition parties in parliament have refused to approve Basescu's two subsequent nominations for the role of prime minister.
The political impasse prompted the International Monetary Fund to suspend the disbursement of further tranches of a €20 billion loan, which is dependent on the government pushing through unpopular budget cuts, and cutting the size of state administration.
