Local elections: Fraud allegations in two Bucharest districts, USR mayors ask for vote recount
<p>The incumbent mayors of Bucharest's Districts 1 and 2, Clotilde Armand and Radu Mihaiu, both representing USR, have put forward fraud allegations in the context of last Sunday’s local elections and asked for recounts to take place in voting stations with irregularities.</p>
<p>Even now, the counting process is still not complete in the two districts. The two incumbent mayors, who are in danger of losing their seats, have filed complaints against the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, accusing him of abuse of office for the flawed conduct of the elections, as well as incitement to falsify documents.</p>
<p>"Toni Greblă oversaw a real electoral chaos," said Clotilde Armand, emphasizing that the members of the polling stations had to wait up to 30 hours throughout the voting and ballot delivery process. "Due to fatigue, the members and presidents of the polling stations were forced to draw up reports with gross falsifications. We reported numerous problems and irregularities, all due to fatigue,” she added, cited by <a href="https://www.g4media.ro/clotilde-armand-plangere-la-parchet-pe-numele-sefului-aep-pentru-abuz-in-serviciu-si-instigare-la-fals-eu-n-am-nicio-problema-sa-recunosc-un-rezultat-dar-aceste-alegeri-trebuie-sa-fie-corecte-daca.html">G4Media</a>.</p>
<p>The incumbent mayor said that the information system for centralizing votes was not working on Friday, which is why, even now, there are still polling stations that have not finalized the delivery of reports.</p>
<p>"Currently, there is pressure on the presidents of polling stations to close everything even if there are many irregularities and the reports do not match what was voted," said Clotilde Armand, stressing the need for recounting votes in certain polling stations. </p>
<p>Clotilde Armand had a slight edge over PSD-PNL candidate George Tuță in the exit polls on Sunday, June 9, but partial results gave the latter as a winner, with about 500 votes ahead. Back in 2020, the incumbent mayor also faced a contested election, with opponent and outgoing PSD mayor Daniel Tudorache alleging fraud on Armand’s side.</p>
<p>“These elections were deeply flawed due to the organization. My message, because I am also tired, is that I have no problem acknowledging a result, but these elections must be fair. If the elections are fraudulent, why should we even go to vote? That is why it is necessary to recount the ballots in several stations with suspect results, where gross falsifications have been reported," said Clotilde Armand. </p>
<p>In reply, the head of the AEP <a href="https://www.digi24.ro/alegeri-locale-2024/toni-grebla-o-acuza-pe-clotilde-armand-ca-nu-a-asigurat-conditii-in-sectii-daca-se-continua-asa-se-termina-in-doua-zile-inacceptabil-2824795">said</a> that Armand did not provide the necessary conditions for the electoral process to take place and that the complex legislation led to polling officials being exhausted. Greblă, a former PSD senator, was appointed to lead the electoral authority by the current ruling coalition. In 2015, prosecutors at Romania’s DNA investigated Greblă for influence peddling.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the USR mayor of District 2, Radu Mihaiu, who is approximately 600 votes behind the PSD-PNL candidate Rareș Hopincă, also announced that he will file a criminal complaint against the District 2 Electoral Bureau for abuse of office and incitement to falsify public documents.</p>
<p>Radu Mihaiu claimed that due to a mistake, 333 votes were incorrectly allocated to the SOS candidate in one of the district’s polling stations instead of being counted for him and that his request for a vote recount was denied. He is now calling on the Central Electoral Bureau to intervene in District 2. </p>
<p>"It is obvious how they are trying to rig the elections in District 2. We will expand the complaints to more polling stations where the entire voting process was called into question, with pre-stamped ballots on election day, with control keys that did not close, with pressure put on sleep-deprived presidents. Most seriously, in the forcibly closed stations, there are 504 cast votes that are unaccounted for. To be clear, 504 people voted, but their choice is not reflected in any way," added the current mayor of District 2, cited by <a href="https://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-27207370-rezultate-alegeri-locale-2024-primarul-usr-radu-mihaiu-depune-plangere-penala-impotriva-biroului-electoral-sector-2-peste-500-voturi-nu-regasesc-nicaieri.htm">HotNews</a>.</p>
<p>The wave of disputes over the accuracy of the vote count has prompted the member organizations of the VoteCorect Coalition to publicly call on the authorities involved in the electoral process to comply with the law and procedures. The member organizations of the coalition indicate that increased bureaucracy and fatigue reduce transparency in the vote-counting process.</p>
<p>“The political decision to consolidate the elections has generated the negative effects we see today in practice. They concern not only the determination of the voting results but also the procedures related to the exercise of the vote: the procedures were different, as were the reports, and these aspects have complicated and extended an already complex counting process. Following the process has become more difficult for observers as well, reducing transparency,” the statement said, cited by <a href="https://www.g4media.ro/coalitia-votcorect-cere-numararea-corecta-a-voturilor-si-avertizeaza-ca-organizarea-alegerilor-a-fost-defectuoasa-situatia-se-datoreaza-in-mare-parte-complexitatii-procesului-si-oboselii-acumul.html">G4Media</a>.</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: Inquam Photos and Radu Mihaiu on Facebook)</em></p>