The Romanian local elections due to take place this summer should be postponed by half a year so the country can concentrate on the dual priorities of fighting the coronavirus pandemic and shoring up the economy as best as possible, said Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, on Wednesday.
“At this moment in time, municipal elections shouldn’t be considered a priority. The law says that in the case of natural calamities, elections can be postponed,” Kelemen said. “We propose that municipal elections be postponed by half a year, to October.”
The leader of the President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, otherwise known by its Hungarian acronym of RMDSZ, added that with both chambers of Parliament already working on an amendment to the election law, this should not be considered a priority.
“The number one priority is the health of everyone, the health of the citizens, and slowing down the spread of the coronavirus,” Kelemen stated, also pointing out priority number two: the economy.
“Priority number two is the economy; the government, together with other state institutions, (commercial) banks and the Central Bank, must find the means to save small and medium-size enterprises. We need fast solutions; otherwise, in a few weeks’ time, the entire Romanian economy will have its wheels replaced with logs due to the failure of companies that don’t have the capital to survive until normal operations can be resumed,” he said.
According to recent research, the coronavirus infection is expected to peak anytime between May and July in Romania. At the time of writing, Romania had 260 confirmed coronavirus cases, 19 cured patients, 3,510 people in quarantine and 26,545 in self-isolation, but not a single casualty so far.
Title image: RMDSZ President Hunor Kelemen.
