Romania's Far-right March In Thousands Against Annulling Of Election

BUCHAREST, Jan 13 (Bernama-dpa) -- Tens of thousands of far-right protesters marched in Bucharest on Sunday, demanding the resignation of incumbent Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and calling for pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu to be instated, local media reported, reported German news agency (dpa). 

The demonstrators demanded that the Constitutional Court reverse its decision to nullify the first round of the presidential election at the end of November and order a new election. 

Georgescu, who himself did not attend Sunday's rally, had unexpectedly won first place in November's first round of voting. The far-right party AUR had called for the rally in the centre of the Romanian capital. 

The Constitutional Court justified its decision to void the election by stating that the entire electoral process had been irregular. The court argued that voters had been above all manipulated by the illegal preferential treatment of a candidate on social media.

Georgescu was formerly a member of the extreme right-wing AUR but resigned over a dispute. He has pro-Russian views, wants to end NATO member Romania's support for Ukraine, spreads conspiracy theories and glorifies Romanian fascists from the period before 1945. 

The new presidential election is scheduled to take place on May 4. A possible run-off vote is planned for May 18.

-- BERNAMA-dpa