BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of Romanians angry at the cancellation of presidential elections marched in Bucharest on Sunday to demand that the vote go ahead and that outgoing president Klaus Iohannis resign.
In a move that divided voters, Romania's supreme court annulled the December 6 presidential election, two days before the second round.
The deletion came after state documents showed frontline Calin Georgescu, a critic of NATO, benefited from a disinformation campaign that may have been orchestrated by Russia, allegations Moscow has denied.
The court ordered a full re-election. The European Union government has not yet approved an election calendar, although party leaders have agreed to hold the two rounds on May 4 and May 18.
Iohannis, whose term ended on Dec. 21, will remain until his successor is elected.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters, including those on the left and those angry at the way the election was rigged, joined a protest organized by the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanian (AUR), Romania's second largest party.
“We are asking for a return to democracy by holding elections in a second round,” AUR leader George Simion told reporters.
Organizers said 100,000 people were at the protest, but riot police estimated the number at around 20,000. Protesters waved flags and shouted “Freedom” and “Bring back the second round.”
“Our right to vote was violated,” said Bogdan Danila, 43. “In addition, Iohannis was in charge for ten years and did nothing for the people, while the parties betrayed us, they are all evil. We need something else.”
Some protesters carried portraits of Georgescu or Orthodox Christians while street vendors sold flags and vuvuzelas.
“The authorities must say why they canceled the election, we want to see evidence,” said Cornelia, 57, an economist draped in a Romanian flag who declined to give her last name.
“At this stage we will not vote again, they will insist on a leader like in the old days.
It is not clear whether Georgescu, who opposes Romania's support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, will be allowed to run for president again.