Romanians from Portugal participated at their national elections

Almost 220 Romanians from Portugal voted on Sunday their favorite candidates for the two Chambers in the Romanian Parliament, in the first uninominal elections from their country.

More than 18.310.000 Romanians from all over the world were called to participate at the general and senatorial elections. Only 39, 26 % of them expressed their political option for the first uninominal vote in Romania. From 18.732 persons who voted abroad, 219 were from Portugal. “It is well known that not as many people as in Romania go to vote in a foreign country”, said the Romanian Ambassador in Portugal, Gabriel Gafita . The biggest overseas participation was in Spain, where 3.000 Romanians voted, followed by Italy with 2.500 and Moldavia with 2.100.

This year, there were 79 new polling stations. Three out of the 221 opened abroad were in Portugal: at the Romanian Embassy from Lisbon, where 105 people voted, at the Honorific Romanian Consulate from Porto, where 14 persons expressed their political option and at the City Hall from Almancil, where 100 Romanians participated at the elections. The citizens could have voted between 7 a. m and 9 p. m, with the documents required by law. Romanians with a domicile abroad could have voted with the simple valid passport and the Romanian Citizen with Domicile Abroad (CRDS) authorization. Those with a residence in a foreign country could have voted with the simple valid passport or, in the case of the European Countries, with the valid identity card and a document emitted by the authorities of the country they live in. The residency can be demonstrated by a work or study visa, by the European citizen certificate and a permanent residency card or a residency title. Romanians which were in delegations, trips or visits overseas could not vote. The official annual report divulgated by the Portuguese Service for Strangers and Frontiers (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteras- SEF) shows that on 31st December 2007 19.155 Romanian citizens with legal work license and residence documents were spread all over Portugal.

According to the general results revealed by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) the confrontation of the political parties for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate was tight. The alliance between the Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Mircea Geoana and the Conservative Party (PC) gained the most seats. The Democratic Liberal Party (PD-L), led by Emil Boc followed it almost close. The National Liberal Party (PNL) led by Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu was the third most voted party at these elections.

The Romanian Parliament is bicameral. The Senate- Upper Chamber- which has 143 members and the Chamber of Deputies- Lower Chamber- which is represented by 346 persons are renewed every for years. The party that holds the absolute majority in the Parliament or, if there is no majority, all the parties represented in the two Chambers consult with the President, which appoint the Prime Minister, who rules the Government. The president is elected for five years, according to the reform of the Constitution from 2004. Currently, the president is Traian Basescu, elected on 12th December 2004.