The country’s president assures the electorate that voting ‘is no more harmful than shopping’ amid fears, traditionally low participation could fall due to the pandemic
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Millions of Romanians attended the polls in local elections, fearing that the coronavirus pandemic could take participation to unprecedented levels.
President Klaus Iohannis had sought to assure the country’s 19 million eligible voters that security measures put in position that voting “is no more damaging than buying. “
There are about 43,000 seats at stake in municipalities and county councils.
According to Romania’s Permanent Election Authority, the public framework guilty of overseeing the voting process, participation in past local elections in 2016 was traditionally low, at 48%.
Sunday’s vote comes amid an increasing number of new cases in the country of southeastern Europe. Earlier in the week, Romania recorded 1,767 new Covid-19 infections in one day, the number since the onset of the pandemic.
Romania has reported more than 122,000 cases of coronavirus and 4,700 deaths.
Electoral colleges disinfected and allowed up to five voters to participate at once, leading to court cases over long queues on social media. Voters had to wear masks and stand at least a metre away.
Political experts predicted that low participation would favor primary political parties, entrenched parties and rulers.
Many eyes were on Bucharest, Romania’s capital and largest city, where outgoing social democratic mayor Gabriela Firea opposes Nicuor Dan, a former civil society activist subsidized through a coalition of centre-right parties.
Elections are the first to come after years of political unrest and anti-corruption protests opposed to the ruling former Social Democratic Party (PSD), which was overthrown from the government after a vote of censure in 2019.
They will also be noticed as part of government control of the pandemic and will lay the groundwork for the general election scheduled for December 6.
The ruling National Liberal Party is ahead of the polls.
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