Accusations fly over ‘election rigging’ in Romania

Date: 31/10/1996

By Mark Turner

ROMANIA'S presidential and parliamentary elections next month are prompting serious concern amongst EU politicians.

This is not due to any wavering in the country's commitment to join the Union - all the election contenders and 95&percent; of the population favour membership.

Rather it is because of strong suspicions that President Ion Iliescu, head of the ex-communist Romanian Social Democracy Party (PSDR), is following in his predecessor's footsteps and rigging the vote.

Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Wim van Velzen caused a furore earlier this month when he accused Iliescu of misusing his political position to guarantee a victory. “This looks like a re-run of the scandalous elections which brought Ion Iliescu to power in the first place,” he said.

The main target of Van Velzen's criticism was a government plan to allow the electorate to use either their identity or voting cards at the polls, with no controls to stop people voting twice.

He said that would explain why the government was printing 2 million extra ballot papers, a quantity which could have a big impact on the result in a country of 23 million people.

In the wake of such criticism, the Romanian parliament rushed through rapid reform laws, and voters will now only use identity cards on polling day.

“I see this as a great victory for democracy in Romania,” said Van Velzen last week.

He nevertheless remains concerned that the former communists are unfairly dominating the air time on state television, which has no competition outside major urban centres, and exerting pressure on state sector managers and their staff, who comprise 60&percent; of the workforce.

Furthermore, Van Velzen claims the PSDR is using privatisation receipts to finance its campaign against its main opponents, the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).

The PSDR has reacted angrily to such accusations, saying that they “defied the norms of good manners, politics and his own country”.

But Romania is well aware of the potential damage a fraudulent label could do to its bid for EU and NATO membership, especially given its economic weakness.

The country's international image has not fared well of late in Union circles. In September, MEPs condemned the Romanian parliament's decision to raise the penalty for homosexuality to a maximum of five years' imprisonment.

The treatment of Romania's ethnic minorities also continues to cause concern.

Keen to avert more criticism, its government has invited both the European Commission and the Council of Europe to send observers to see the elections for themselves.

“We are eager to receive anyone who wants to go there as political observers,” said a spokesman for the Romanian mission to the EU.

But the Commission feels there is no particular reason to accept the invitation. Officials say that while election procedures in Romania may not be blemish-free, they are not funda-mentally worse than in other eastern European states, such as Bulgaria.

And while Romania is far from being in the vanguard of eastern and central European reformers, things are gradually improving.

They cite as evidence of this the fact that, despite all the accusations, the ruling socialists are far from certain of victory in the forthcoming poll.

They appear likely to lose the legislative elections, and face stiff opposition in the presidential race from both the CDR's Emil Constantinescu and social democrat Petre Roman.

But recent pro-monarchist statements from Constantinescu are costing him dear in the polls.

The smart money is predicting a 1-1 draw between the two main parties, with Iliescu clinging on to the presidency for another term.