The election business

Romanians will elect a new parliament on November 30. Whereas electoral finances are made public in the US, things are different in Romania, writes the weekly newspaper Dilema Veche: "In Romania the financing of electoral campaigns has no place on the public agenda. People only discuss financing once the elections are over. ... The auditing authority often discovers irregularities, money shows up on party accounts that has no business to be there. But reports about such cases are only heard sporadically. This year more attention should be paid to such matters, because electoral campaigns will be more cost-intensive than ever. Private broadcasters, for example, will demand money for candidates' electoral spots for the first time. ... 'Classic election presents' (corn, cornmeal and cooking oil) are to be distributed, especially in rural areas. ... This spring in the communities of Sintesti and Stefanesti there were voting irregularities and accusations that votes had been purchased. On November 30 the scandal could take on far bigger proportions."

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