Challenges Facing the New Foreign Minister

Controversies regarding the way in which the first round of the presidential election was held abroad triggered the resignation of the Romanian Foreign Minister.

Corina Cristea, 11.11.2014, 13:49

As of Monday, Teodor Melescanu is the new Romanian Foreign Minister. The change occurred amid allegations regarding the way in which the first round of the presidential election was organized on November 2nd for the Romanians living abroad. The former director of the Foreign Intelligence Service was sworn in just a few hours after Titus Corleatean had handed in his resignation, saying he had made that decision in order not to break the law.

The bone of contention is the number of polling stations abroad — 294 — which proved insufficient and were not very well organized, as those who could not cast their vote say. Last weekend, Romanians in big European cities such as London, Dublin, Madrid, Paris and Vienna took to the streets demanding Corleatean’s resignation and the increase in the number of polling stations. Romanians at home joined them in token of solidarity. The law does not allow the setting up of more polling stations abroad for the presidential election runoff, outgoing Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean intimated. He explained that by resigning he did not want to give reasons for the presidential election to be challenged.

“As a minister, jointly with the staff of the Foreign Ministry, I have the obligation to ensure the observance of the law, as well as the preservation of the image and prestige of the Foreign Ministry. Consequently, since I want to observe the law, I have decided to hand in my resignation as Foreign Minister of Romania.”

The present election law does not stipulate the setting up of more polling stations abroad. In the absence of derogations or amendments to the law, measures can be taken only for the smooth running of the voting process, the new Foreign Minister, Teodor Melescanu said at the head office of the Central Election Bureau, where he had asked for clarifications.

“I believe that we must take all the necessary measures for everybody to vote without any difficulty whatsoever. As to how this is going to happen, it depends on the legal aspects entailed and particularly on the time left until the ballot.”

Monday’s press release of the Central Election Bureau reads that the organization of the polling stations abroad is the exclusive prerogative of the Foreign Ministry and there is no legal obstacle in the way of setting up of more such stations for the Romanian diaspora. A spokesman for the opposition, one of the leaders of the Christian Liberal Alliance, Catalin Predoiu, former minister of justice, claims that Corlatean’s resignation has not solved the problems that occurred during the first round and that more polling stations for the diaspora might be set up under a government ordinance.

“Prime Minister Victor Ponta should solve the problem, expand the polling stations under a government resolution and do what a prime minister needs to do and give the Romanian diaspora the constitutional right to cast their vote.”

In the opinion of president Traian Basescu, Corlatean’s resignation came too late.