Democracy triumphed in Romania

Sebastian T.

started this petition to

Romanian PM, Victor Ponta

The initial aim of this petition was to ensure all Romanians in diaspora are allowed to vote. This has not happened, but the victory was much bigger. The movement for democracy that this petition was a part of led to the highest election turnout in the last 20 years in Romania, with voting in diaspora doubling since the first round. Protests back in Romania, and huge queues for voting in big European cities showed Europeans that Romanians are ready to fight for democracy, although our current government is not. We were united, and together proved to our politicians (and to ourselves) the immense power we have when we stand together.

Today, TENS OF THOUSANDS of Romanians living abroad have been DENIED THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE for president. This is just one of potentially many tactics the ruling government has planned to skew the elections their way. The second round is coming in 2 weeks, and we need to act fast: let's get to 5000 signatures fast to get this to the next level. When the petition grows big enough, we'll deliver it to the Romanian PM and key EU politicians.

In the name of democracy, please help our call to keep elections clean and ensure all Romanians are allowed to vote for their president!

[UPDATE]

The petition has now been sent to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Thanks all for contributing, and keep signing, to make the message even stronger! (the link to the petition has also been sent)

[UPDATE]

The first round of presidential elections 2014 took place today in Romania. Through a simple, but well executed plan, the ruling government has effectively shut off from the first round of this year’s presidential elections a huge numbers of the Romanian population living abroad, and large numbers of students living in Romania, thus attempting to eliminate from the count precious percentage points of “hostile” voters, and to scare them off from coming to vote in the second round.

The tactic for this abuse was painfully simple: the voting process was burdened with bureaucracy and delayed to such a degree, that there was just not enough time for everyone to vote!

The bureaucracy created huge queues all around Europe and the world, with eager Romanian voters standing hours and hours waiting to use their democratic right. Many gave in to the long wait. But there’s much worse: when the voting closed down, large numbers were simply sent home and denied their fundamental democratic right! They were not allowed to vote!

People did not give up: many stayed, demanding their right. Spontaneous protests emerged in London, Paris, Vienna, Bucharest and others. But in the end, nothing more could be done. They could not vote.

Friends, this is not mere incompetence. In the previous Romanian presidential elections of 2009, it was Romanians from abroad that finally tilted the scale against the PSD candidate. This year’s PSD candidate, PSD leader and Romanian prime-minister, is determined to keep that from happening again. Please, help us fight them once more! We just want to vote!

This battle is important not just to Romania, but to the whole EU. Acting prime-minister has even been video-recorded saying that him and his gang will “get hold of justice” in Romania once he becomes president. In a time when fight against high-level corruption is finally bearing fruit here, this party is working hard to seize control over justice, so that they get back to plundering at will. Democracy, independence of justice and high-level corruption are the stake, and if all Romanians aren’t allowed to vote, we risk soon seeing a EU member state Romania less democratic and more corrupted than it was before the 2007 admission!

Please, sign the petition below to help us bring awareness to this issue in the whole EU, tell Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta that Europe is watching, and support us in our fight for our democracy!

See this covered in the media:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2014/11/romanias-elections

http://www.dw.de/opinion-preventing-votes-romanian-style/a-18036279

http://www.romaniajournal.ro/diaspora-romanians-queuing-for-voting-prompt-homestretch-electoral-clashes/

http://sarahinromania.canalblog.com/archives/2014/11/03/30882504.html

http://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/alegeri-prezidentiale-2014/alegeri-prezidentiale-2014-sute-de-romani-stau-la-cozi-foarte-mari-in-strainatate-se-voteaza-ca-in-evul-mediu.html

https://vimeo.com/110949081

http://www.realitatea.net/alegeri-prezidentiale-prezenta-mare-la-vot-in-strainatate-cozi-uriase-la-chisinau-paris-munchen_1560802.html

Posted (Updated )

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