Romanian Opposition Parties Challenge Uninominal Voting Sys Law

Romania’s far right Greater Romania Party, or PRM, in opposition, on Thursday submitted an official note to the Constitutional Court regarding several provisions of the law on uninominal voting system, which it considers “unconstitutional.”

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PRM secretary general Gheorghe Funar said the note does not challenge the constitutionality of the whole act, but only ten provisions, which refer, among others, to citizens’ right to elect and be elected.

Conservative senators signed the challenge as well, but not the conservative deputies, who voted in favor of the law.

Candidates who are elected by majority of votes cannot obtain parliament seats unless their party makes the 5% threshold or the alternative threshold, of six deputies and three senators, conservative senator Sabin Cutas said, mentioning this provision breaches citizens’ right to elect and be elected.

“This is not right. The very essence of uninominal voting is that eligible voters are free to elect the candidates they wish to have as representatives,” Cutas said.

The representatives of Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, or UDMR, part of the government, also challenged the current version of the act, saying it is not in favor of the Hungarian community, which would have less representatives in the next parliament.

UDMR “has made all calculations” and the law “is not in the spirit of what should be a voting system that represents voters’ opinions as closely as possible,” party official Laszlo Borbely said.

However, the head of leftist opposition Social Democratic Party, or PSD, Mircea Geoana said earlier Thursday that the challenge filed by PRM and the conservatives is nothing but a desperate attempt to change the course of history, for fear that the two parties will otherwise lose seats in parliament.

He expressed his hope the Constitutional Court will confirm the correctness of the current version of the law introducing the uninominal voting.

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies Tuesday adopted 231 to 11 and 18 abstentions the law introducing the uninominal voting system.

Deputies accepted an amendment brought forth by PSD, according to which county council presidents are to be elected uninominally.

For the parliament elections, deputies maintained the electoral threshold at 5% or the gaining of six mandates for deputies and three for senators.

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