Romania Blocks Pro-Putin Presidential Candidate
The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) rejected Călin Georgescu’s presidential candidacy by a 10-4 vote, prompting violent protests from his pro-Russian supporters outside the BEC headquarters, necessitating police intervention. Georgescu denounced the decision as an attack on global democracy. A man who assaulted a police officer during the protests is being sought, while the BEC also rejected two other independent candidacies. The BEC’s decision, explained by Judge Tudorel Toader, stemmed from irregularities found in Georgescu’s application.
John Q. Hosedrinker