Romanian electoral official meets Russian Ambassador as election year starts

The head of Romania’s Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) has met Russian Ambassador to Bucharest to discuss „collaboration” in developing electoral processes and best practice exchanges, the two parties announced. The AEP head is the last major official still in office in Romania from among those named during the regime of Liviu Dragnea, the former strongman of the Social Democrats (PSD).

AEP head Constantin-Florin Mituletu-Buica met Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Valery Kuzmin on the day marking the union of Romanian historical provinces, January 24.

Both AEP and the Russian Embassy said the talks focused on developing relations of collaboration between authonomous authorities specialised in organising electoral processes in the two countries. This, they said, aimed at accomplishing exchanges of experience and best practices.

Mituletu-Buica was named in office by the Parliament at the proposal of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in February 2019. He is the last „minister” named by the previous PSD majority, who has reigned under the leadership of former PSD strongman Liviu Dragnea for several years. Dragnea was convicted for corruption last year and the PSD government later fell in a censure motion, leaving room for the current Liberal government.

Buica, whose has an 8-year term in office, is the last of the officials with a rank of „minister” who have been named by the PSD.

Romania is due to hold both local and general elections this year.