(MENAFN)
Romania is holding a rerun of its presidential election on Sunday, following the annulment of the previous vote due to claims of Russian interference and electoral violations. Moscow has denied these allegations.

In the annulled November election, independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu, known for his skepticism towards NATO, unexpectedly led the first round with 23% of the vote. However, the Constitutional Court later invalidated the results, citing electoral “irregularities.” Officials accused Georgescu’s campaign of using undeclared funds and claimed that Russia was behind “hybrid” attacks, including cyberattacks.

In March, Georgescu was barred from running in the rerun by the Central Electoral Bureau, which cited his “anti-democratic” and “extremist” views and his failure to comply with electoral procedures.

In the current election, 11 candidates are vying for the presidency, with George Simion, leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), leading the polls with about 30% support. Simion is known for his opposition to the EU and criticism of military aid to Ukraine. Other major candidates include Crin Antonescu, from the governing pro-EU coalition, and Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest. If no candidate wins an outright majority, a run-off between the top two will be held on May 18.

Ahead of the rerun, Romanian authorities detained RT journalist Chay Bowes, who had traveled from Dublin to cover the election. Bowes was reportedly presented with a document, without being given a copy, that labeled him a “threat to national security” and ordered his deportation. Bowes, an EU citizen, maintained he entered Romania legally for work purposes.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the incident, calling the situation surrounding Romania’s election “scandalous” and questioning the credibility of the country’s democratic process.

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