Romanians abroad to register with voting lists

Romania's Foreign Minister Ramona Manescu is urging Romanians abroad to register with the voting lists, showing that taking space under lease for polling stations that were very crowded in the May 26 European elections is a working option.

"This is a working option that we have already thought of for those stations where there were huge crowds, not for all stations, because we have to be very realist, voting will be performed Friday from 12:00hrs, Saturday and Sunday. We expect many people will be coming to the big polling stations, and we want to urge Romanians outside the country to sign on the voting lists because it will be an expense that the Romanian state will cover in addition to all the other expenses to take large spaces under lease. It would be a pity to have, for example, a gym with a lot of booths, with all the facilities and have only one voter, two or three voters a day. I would like Romanians come to show up, to express their interest," Manescu told Antena 3 private broadcaster on Wednesday.

She added that the new legislation secures all the conditions for Romanians living abroad to be able to vote.

"Romanian citizens abroad have the same constitutional rights as Romanian citizens residing in Romania, hence the obligation of the government to make sure these citizens can exercise their right to vote and there is nothing is negotiable, there is no room for interpretations. These people have the right to vote, they have to vote and, through a correct law, through efficient organisations, they have to be guaranteed the vote. (...) It is frustrating to me as a Romanian if I am outside the country to not to be able to vote and I can understand any dissatisfaction that those who could not vote had, but now I have some very great expectations that the Romanians will enlist with the electoral rolls, register as voters (...). The citizens have the right to vote, the state makes available all the instruments, a modified law in favour of the citizens abroad and the infrastructure represented by the polling stations. Now the citizen, in terms of the government, have all the conditions to vote guaranteed. The law says that the citizen must register. My expectation is that they will register with the voting list, because I am convinced that they want to vote and I am convinced that they will go to register," Manescu said.

She pointed out that there would be better conditions given that there will be three days for Romanians abroad to vote.

"Why three days? There is no discrimination; there are some who have to travel tens, hundreds of kilometres to vote. It is not the same with the voting station that is at the end of the neighbourhood or the street," Manescu said.

The minister also said that there would be an information campaign on the voting of Romanians abroad and also mentioned postal voting.

"Do you realise what a relief that will be for embassy and consular staff, Romania's missions out there, how easy it will be for those people who have gone through very difficult times. No one in an embassy or consulate has wanted to block the right to vote ... (...) People also suffered physically (...) We hope for that these problems will no longer exist for the next round of elections, for the presidential election," Manescu said