Romanian prosecutors start investigation on problems during vote in diaspora

Tiberiu Nitu, Romania’s General Prosecutor, announced on Thursday that a case was opened after the first round of the presidential election, on the incidents related to the voting abroad, as a few thousand people couldn’t exercise their right to vote, on November 2. The prosecutors started an investigation in rem (of the facts) which targets violations of the right to vote, after the problems in diaspora, reports local Mediafax. Under the Criminal Code, the prevention, by any means, of the right to elect or to be elected is generally punished with up to three years in prison. Nitu said that the case is investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office of Romania’s Supreme Court (High Court of Cassation and Justice - ICCJ), after several complaints have been received after the vote. According to him, the complaints target ministers and other representatives of the authorities involved in the elections in diaspora. The prosecutor handling the case will also determine whether the law was violated or not on the possibility of establishing more polling stations abroad, Nitu said. EC advises Romania to investigate diaspora electoral complaints. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com