Romanian Electoral Auth Approved Draft Law On Postal Voting Back In 2007

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Muhulet said AEP authorized the draft law in 2007 and, moreover, ruled on a series of observations made by the Interior Ministry. The AEP vice-president said the Authority agrees with any voting process which helps citizens and also includes mechanisms to prevent electoral fraud such as multiple voting or voter manipulation.

On the other hand, Muhulet said that he does not know whether the draft law approved by AEP is up to date, especially since it relied on the infrastructure set up for the parliamentary elections, Law 373 on the election of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, which is no longer in force.

Muhulet said AEP supported the Foreign Ministry's draft law, but several other acts in the field of electoral legislation have been adopted in the meantime .

Romania's Foreign Affairs Ministry told MEDIAFAX earlier Thursday a draft law implementing postal voting for Romanians living abroad was drawn up in December 2006 and forwarded to the Electoral Standing Authority to be amended.

The Foreign Ministry added that, at the moment, the draft law is pending with the electoral authority which has to bring certain amendments to issues that do not come within the ministry's area of expertise.

According to the ministry, the draft law implementing postal voting for Romanians abroad was drawn up by a work group back in December 2006. The work group was set up by the secretary of state within the Department for Relations with Romanians Abroad and made up of representatives with the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Electoral Standing Authority.

The draft law implements postal voting for parliament elections, European Parliament elections and presidential election first run-off for Romanians living abroad.

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry continues to uphold the enforcement of postal voting and will contribute to the draft law's coming into being as far as its expertise permits it," the ministry said.

In the summer of 2007, former Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ilie Banica said the draft law implementing postal voting was finished and about to be put up for public debate.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that one of the greatest successes of his previous term was fulfilling his promises to Romanians abroad, adding that he will push towards implementing postal voting and setting up a call center for the diaspora.

The Romanian liberals, in opposition, will propose a draft law on the introduction of postal voting for Romanians abroad, and the creation of a committee for the improvement of election legislation, liberal vice-president Ludovic Orban told MEDIAFAX on Wednesday.