Bucharest Prefect Plans To Sue Official Gazette Over Missing Ballots

The prefect was notified Monday, through an official note forwarded by the City Electoral Office (BEM), that 33,072 voting ballots were missing from the total number of forms ordered for the second round of local elections for general mayor, said a press release issued by the Bucharest Prefect Office.

"Data indicates that the error occurred during the printing and wrapping of the voting ballots, while the Official Gazette is to be held exclusively liable," the document stated.

The prefecture states that, on June 13, the District 1 Electoral Office told BEM that 16,301 voting ballots were found missing in the count of voting ballots ordered for the election of the District 1 mayor.

As a result, BEM enacted decision 155/14.06.2008 stating that on June 15, before the opening of the voting process, all presidents of voting sections will recount the voting ballots for the election of the general mayor.

The count revealed that in District 1, 16,301 ballots were missing, in District 2 – 3,197, in District 3 – 942, in District 4 – 10,559, in District 5 – 3,798, while District 6 reported 1,725 missing ballots.

The transfer of voting ballots at the headquarters of the Official Gazette was unfolded under military surveillance. The forms were wrapped in sealed packs of 800 pieces, which were checked by the representatives of the electoral offices involved in the procedure, the prefecture said.

Deaconescu asked the Official Gazette to make a statement on this situation and asked the Chamber of Deputies Speaker, as well as the Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies, to look into the matter and take the measures necessary to avoid such situations in the future.

In addition, the prefect announced that legal action will be initiated against the Official Gazette and damages will be requested "for the faulty unfolding of the commercial contract concluded."

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