What the newspapers say: April 29, 2008

As Orthodox Easter ends, Romanian newspapers today take up a shy step to reinstate the usual, daily routine. Thus, we find that Italians have opted for the right wing candidate, Alemanno to run Rome’s City Hall while in Romania various parties pour out their candidates for the local June elections. Another newspaper reads about independent candidate Oprescu’s list with signatures, reporting that most of the signatures were forged.

Gandul reads that parties put forward some so called cloned candidates: parties endorse opposition candidates who bear the same name as the incumbent politicians. Despite being a singularity, the situation is replicated in several important counties.

Thus, in Deva, East Romania the candidate who runs against the incumbent Mayor, Mircea Munteanu bears the same name, give or take: Mircia Munteanu. At Suceava, North Romania the two candidates to run in the locals have the same name: Gheorghe Flutur. One is former Agriculture minister while the other is a 36 year old young man running for the Christian Democrats (PNDC).

It seems like the upcoming elections are stirring up a lot of controversies, both in local counties and in Bucharest. Cotidianul reads that the list of supporting signatories put forward by independent Sorin Oprescu, whose candidacy was rejected in court, contains several fake signatures.

The newspaper informs that it verified a list of 15 signatures and called up the individuals on the lists to find out that some of the signatures were forged. Oprescu is accused of having used personal data from the Universitar Hospital where he works, without the consent of the individuals.

However, Sorin Oprescu managed on Sunday to surmount the last problem on his way: a Bucharest citizen challenged his right to run, claiming that the signatures he submitted at the Electoral Office were, in fact, personal data of the patients that have been hospitalized in his medical unit.

After the Bucharest Court decided that the notifications has no grounds, Sorin Oprescu accused the complainer of acting on the behalf of a political opponent, Cozmin Gusa, head of a minor party.

Elsewhere in the news, Italians already chose their local representatives in municipal elections that were won in Rome by right wing candidate Gianni Alemanno, Evenimentul Zilei reads. Thus, Italians surrendered the peninsula to Silvio Berlusconi since his party endorsed themes like public security and pinpointed actions against illegal immigrants.

The newspaper informs that what changed the electorate’s voting intent were mainly the violent crimes committed by illegal Romanian immigrants in Italy. Thus, Alemanno promised to get rid of some 20,000 illegal immigrants in Rome.