Allegra Stratton and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday June 17, 2008
The residents of a Romanian town have elected a dead man as their mayor, it emerged today.
The late Neculai Ivascu, who had run Voinesti for 18 years, was re-elected to the post.
Ivascu, a 57-year-old, died from liver disease just after voting began on Sunday, but won the election by 23 votes.
A local official said the authorities had decided to keep the poll open in case his opponent, Ghoerghe Dobrescu won, avoiding the need for a re-run.
Romanian electoral rules allow for the death of a candidate between rounds of voting, but not on a polling day.
"I know he died, but I don't want change," a pro-Ivascu resident told Romanian television, Reuters reported.
Election authorities gave the post to the runner-up, but some residents, and Ivascu's Social Democrat party, have called for a new vote.
He was not allowed to die on a polling day, plus people don't like change. Makes sense.
Yes, but Reyn said 'you gotta be fast with these type of stories'
and i was ONE MONTH faster!
in my world, i still win
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