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The mayor of Bucharest's District 5, Daniel Florea, believes that a recount of votes in the local elections on Sunday in all of Bucharest is necessary.
"I understand that there was a complaint sent to the City Electoral Office formulated by one of the candidates and I understand today that the City Electoral Bureau sent to the BEC [Central Electoral Bureau] this request. We will see. From my point of view, it's a useless delay, I believe a recount of votes in District 5 and in the entire Capital is necessary. I don't understand why we need to sit so long and think if we should do a recount or not. Ultimately, the citizens' vote is important and its correct counting, not that some work an extra two or three days," said Florea, on Thursday, at the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
The District Electoral Bureau of District 5 admitted on Wednesday the complaints of the District 5 branches of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL), of the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Alliance (USR PLUS Alliance) and the Pro Rom Europa Association regarding a recount of ballots.
According to Daniel Florea, after the recount of votes, he will win a new mandate with "a significantly large difference."
"In the exit-polls that we had, until 18:00 hrs, I was at 31 pct, Bacanu 25 pct and Piedone 23 pct. All of a sudden, Bacanu stayed at 25 pct, I dropped down at 25 pct, and Piedone went up to 28 pct," Florea claimed.
He said that there were "several" issues on the day of the vote. "Between 18:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs the tablet system didn't really work, there were a few more problems due to the fact that the MAI [Ministry of Internal Affairs] personnel were little present after dark, (...) the schools' courtyards were overcrowded but the Police was not there at all. At a quarter to nine, when the policemen came, the courtyards of schools were empty, nobody voted after 21:00, even though until then the courtyards were filled with hundreds of people. What they were doing there and what their purpose was the District Hall, not having attributions, it cannot say," said the District 5 mayor.
Florea mentioned that there are security cameras in schools and around them, and the District Hall can make the images available if any authority, either the Electoral Bureau, or the Internal Affairs Ministry, asks for them.
