December 10, 2016 UPDATE

Over 18 million Romanian are expected to vote in Sundays parliamentary elections.

Newsroom, 10.12.2016, 13:54

ELECTIONS – Over 18 million Romanian are expected to vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, in 43 constituencies, of which 41 in counties, one in Bucharest and another one for the Romanians with the domicile or residence outside the country’s borders. The voting process has already started in the Diaspora that will be represented by 2 senators and 4 deputies, as the Romanian citizens with the domicile or residence abroad who had registered in the Electoral Registry received the ballot papers by post. This is the first time that postal voting is allowed for Romanians outside the country’s borders. Also for the first time, the vote counting will be recorded on camera.

CORRUPTION – On Saturday, the former manager of a hospital in Bucharest, doctor Florin Secureanu, was taken into custody for 30 days. The Bucharest Tribunal’s ruling, can be appealed, by the arrest order is mandatory. Secureanu is accused of bribe taking and embezzlement. Anti-corruption prosecutors say that between May 2009 and November 2016 the former manager created an implemented a scheme that allowed him to steal money from the hospital’s fund on a daily basis. The damage has been so far estimated to around 500 thousand euros. Also on Saturday, policemen and prosecutors searched another hospital and also the home of doctor Gheorghe Burnei, an expert in paediatric orthopaedic surgery. Burnei is accused of having illegally performed surgical experiments on children.

SYRIA – The US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Syrian Government and its main ally, Russia, to show generosity and nobleness as the government troops advance through Allepo. Kerry has admitted that President Bashar al-Assad is in control of the situation for which reason he should initiate negotiations with the opposition. On Friday the Syrian Goverdsnment announced they were ready for discussions, although they have constantly refused to discuss Assad’s future or the option of sharing power , BBC has said.

MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova’s Parliament has passed a law that puts the country’s Intelligence and Security Service and the Protection and Guard Service under Parliament’s full control. According to the Radio Romania correspondents to Chisinau, Moldova’s elected president, Igor Dodon, will thus be prevented from controlling the special services, unlike his predecessor, the pro-Western Nicolae Tomofti.

HANDBALL – Romania’s national women’s handball team will be up against Hungary on Sunday in the first game of the main groups of the European Championship in Sweden. On December 13 Romania will play against the Czech Republic and a day later against Denmark. Romania defeated Croatia on Friday evening, 31-26 and qualified from the second place to the main groups. In the first two games Romania lost to Norway, European champions and world defending champions, and defeated Russia, Olympic champion. The Romanian team’s coach is the Spanish Ambros Martin who last month replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde with whom Romania had won the bronze at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark.

(Translated by Elena Enache)