Approximately 200 supporters of the Alliance for the Union of Romania (AUR) led by the party’s chairman George Simion staged a protest in front of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) headquarters on Thursday, accusing the „undermining” of the vote of the Romanian diaspora.

„Our protest in front of the AEP headquarters is targeted against the utterly unconstitutional and undemocratic decision of the PSD-PNL ruling coalition to close numerous polling stations abroad and to hamper the vote of Romanian expatriates by organizing the elections in a single day. (…) We call on the Romanians abroad to come to the country to exercise their right to vote,” Simion said.

He criticized AEP for the way the campaign for the June 9 elections is organized, stating that diaspora Romanians are being denied the right to vote.

„This is no electoral campaign as long as half of Romania’s active population is away, and they are not informed, they are not given the right to vote. (…) The authorities boast a record achievement, that there have never been more polling stations. False, there are more stations than at the 2019 parliamentary election, but more should have been organized and they should have been set up where they previously existed,” said the AUR leader.

Simion made it clear he no longer has anything to discuss with AEP president Toni Grebla, who had given assurances that the diaspora will be able to vote unhindered.

„There is only one voting day, we don’t have voting by mail, and important polling stations in Italy and other countries have been shut down. Romanians from those communities cannot vote, and Foreign Affairs Minister Luminita Odobescu boasts a record high number of stations. That’s a lie, it’s a manipulation,” said Simion.

The participants in the protest carried signs reading: „One citizen. One vote”, „Equal vote in the Diaspora”, and chanted „Shame, shame, shame on you”, „AEP, PSD’s hireling”, „We don’t want to be led by crooks”.

AGERPRES