MP Marina Tauber has announced that, as soon as the decision on the unconstitutionality of the ban on running in elections for persons associated with parties is published, the results of last autumn’s local elections will be challenged. “We will seek the annulment of the results and the organization of new local elections with the participation of all possible candidates, under equal conditions,” the lawmaker told a press briefing on Thursday, IPN reports.
According to her, the Constitutional Court’s judgement is late as the local elections passed and “hundreds of potential candidates with real chances did not have the opportunity to participate in the elections.” “Hundreds of people were illegally deprived of the right to run for office. In such circumstances, we cannot talk about free and fair elections, and the legitimacy of the results of the local elections in November 2023 is seriously affected,” said Marina Tauber.
Two days ago, the Constitutional Court declared unconstituțional the ban on running in elections imposed on particular persons associated with political parties. It goes to persons who, when the Constitutional Court passed its judgment by which a political party was declared unconstitutional, were suspected, accused or convicted of committing crimes that were mentioned by the Court as an argument when declaring the party unconstitutional, from running in elections. These are persons who were excluded from a previous election as a result of violation of electoral legislation, and this fact was invoked as an argument when declaring the political party unconstitutional, etc. The decision was pronounced following an application submitted by the MPs of the former Shor Party that was declared unconstitutional. The Court held that the amendments to the Electoral Code, which were given two readings on the same day, contain both procedural and substantial shortcomings.
