Romania’s High Court of Justice and Cassation has overturned a decision by a district appeals court to rule against the annulment of presidential vote, a move apparently aimed at causing confusion on the eve of elections.
More than 100 other courts filed the same decision in what appeared to be a concerted effort to add even more confusion to Romania’s canceled election controversy.
In its decision, the Ploiesti district appeals court said the constitutional court’s decision in December annulling the original vote should itself be invalidated.
Reacting to the Friday ruling by Romania’s High Court, ex judge Cristi Danilet said: “The High Court has just annulled the aberration if the Ploiesti Court of Appeal. The supreme court’s solution will be applied in all 120 cases abusively opened by the nationalists.”
“Basically, it was decided by the Supreme Court that from now on, a court can never challenge, suspend, annul any decision/decision given by the CCR. It doesn’t matter if it’s elections or anything else,” he added.
Romania hold a re-do of elections on 4 and 18 May. The district appeals court decision on Thursday created “unprecedented legal chaos” to an already contentious vote that has been divisive at home and abroad.
Far-right, pro-Moscow candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round, declaring zero spending surging from less than 5% in pre-election polls to first place with 23%.
The Constiutional Court annulled the vote after declassified intelligence documents exposed major Russian interference, including “massive” social media meddling in Georgescu’s favour.multiple cyber-attacks on the electoral IT system and
In February, Georgescu was indicted on six counts including misreporting campaign finances, misuse of digital technology, trying to overturn the constitutional order and promoting fascist groups. In March he was barred from standing again.
Romania’s far-right parties and US conservatives from the Trump administration denounced the legal moves as an anti-democratic establishment coup against political opponents.
Far-right candidate, George Simion, is leading the polls ahead of the centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, and Crin Antonescu, representing the governing coalition.
Former justice minister and constitutional court judge Tudor Tudorel said that constitutional court decisions were in any case “final, generate effects from publication in the official gazette, and cannot be subject to appeal”.
Former judge Cristi Danilet said no court could “suspend or annul a decision of the constitutional court – even more so a decision that has already been implemented, by issuing the orders to organize new elections”.
Far-right Romanian presidential candidate photographed with Tate brothers PR person in the US
