Romanian civil society, opposition slam presidential rerun arrangements

  *In particular, voting hours in the diaspora have been slammed as unfair, www. Euractiv.com says.   The decision to rerun the annulled presidential election on 4 and 18 May has already drawn criticism for a perceived lack of transparency surrounding the decision and the voting period for Romanians abroad.   The Romanian government has approved a long-awaited emergency decree setting election dates after the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the second round of the presidential election in December. While several civil society organisations have criticised the lack of transparency surrounding this decision, the opposition USR party claims that restricting voting hours for some Romanians living abroad amounts to discrimination.   Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that the decree introduces changes to ensure "uniform rules for all candidates" and prevent practices similar to those seen in the last elections, where "a social media tool favoured a particular candidate." However, several NGOs, including Expert Forum and Active Watch, criticised the lack of public consultation during the decree's drafting, calling it "unacceptable." They argue that key stakeholders were not consulted and that the decree was not subjected to public debate or reviewed by the Economic and Social Council, as required by law.   The NGOs also stressed the importance of transparency, particularly given the "alarming decline in public confidence in the electoral process and the ongoing social unrest following the annulment of the previous elections." They also stressed the need for open discussions on all critical aspects of the new electoral regulations. Concerns were also raised about the vague language in the Emergency Decree regarding the regulation of social media.   The NGOs pointed out that the provisions could apply to personal social media posts or photos supporting a favoured candidate rather than being limited to content published by or on behalf of political actors, as required by the European Regulation on Political Advertising.   In addition, the decree introduces rules on political advertising that “conflict with existing laws on election financing and organisation, creating further confusion”. The NGOs also noted that the provision imposing heavy fines on large platforms contradicts the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which gives the European Commission direct regulatory authority over such platforms. Romanian institutions, therefore, lack the legal competence to impose fines on companies not registered in Romania.   The government has also made changes to voting procedures for Romanians living abroad. According to government spokesman Mihai Constantin, polling stations in Western countries will close at 9 pm Bucharest time instead of local time. This change significantly shortens voting hours in countries such as the United States. Constantin justified the measure as necessary to "prevent voting influences."   Elena Lasconi, leader of the opposition USR party, condemned the measure as discriminatory. "At 9 pm in Bucharest, it’s 11 am in Los Angeles and 2 pm in Montreal. This is a serious violation of the right to vote for Romanians in the diaspora," she wrote on Facebook. She called on the People’s Advocate to urgently refer the emergence decree to the Constitutional Court.