In an unprecedented decision, the Constitutional Court ruled Friday the recount of 138.000 void votes.
The number of void votes in the runoff is 138,476, with a 70,040 vote difference between Traian Basescu and Mircea Geoana.
The recount showed 1,972 valid expressed votes, which have therefore been re-validated, of which 1,085 for Traian Basescu and 887 for Mircea Geoana, until last night when Nine O’Clock went to print.
BEC still has to count the void votes at the ballot stations abroad as well.
While Democrat-Liberals say they have no doubts the recount will give Traian Basescu as a winner, Social-Democrats say the mere recount of void votes is futile and expert graphological examinations are required over the dual rubberstamping of some of pro-Geoana ballots.
PSD wants that all the personal numeric code of bulletins in all the special ballot stations to be compared with those in the regular ones, and verifications abroad should show if the number of votes matches those of affidavits filled out and signed upon voting.
According to Social Democrats there is proof, according to which as late as Friday, such affidavits were still being filled out abroad. If this proves to be the case, graphological examinations too are required.
The president of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), Emil Boc, replied all such fraud insinuations are but an offence to the Romanian diaspora
A state secretary within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected rigging accusations, which he dismissed as groundless.
Meanwhile, the negotiations for the next government intensified over the weekend.
The Democrat Liberals seem close to seal a deal with the Hungarians. They are still hoping Liberals would finally ‘come to senses’ and join the new cabinet.
According to Marko Bela, UDMR might agree to a “small coalition” with the PDL.
Such a coalition “is possible, but we still want a broader alliance that would include the PNL,” he said yesterday after talks with acting PM Emil Boc.
