Local elections in Romania are delayed. The mandate of the current local elected officials will be extended

The government has adopted the emergency ordinance aimed at extending the mandates for local authorities and has decided to halve the number of signatures needed to submit candidatures for local elections. The announcement regarding the postponement of the local elections was made by Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan at the beginning of the government meeting.

The emergency ordinance regarding the extension of mandates for the local authorities was adopted, taking into account the extraordinary situation, imposed by the state of emergency, as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. The Government has decided to extend the ongoing mandates of the local public administration authorities until , at the latest, on December 31, 2020.

According to the draft emergency ordinance, the procedures for organizing local elections are initiated no later than 3 months from the date of termination of the state of emergency established by the president's decree, but no later than 3 months from the date of termination of the normal duration of the mandates of the local public administration authorities. .

What is stipulated in the draft emergency ordinance entered in the Government meeting on Monday evening, regarding the extension of the mandates of the local public administration authorities during 2016-2020, some measures for the organization of local elections in 2020, as well as the modification of the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2019 regarding the Administrative Code:

Art. 1. - The procedures regarding the organization of the elections for the local public administration authorities shall be initiated no later than 3 months from the date of termination of the emergency status established by the Decree of the President of Romania no. 195/2020 regarding the establishment of the state of emergency on the territory of Romania, but not later than 3 months from the date of termination of the normal term of the mandates of the local public administration authorities included in the period 2016-2020.

Art. 2. - The date of the elections provided by art. 1 is established according to art. 10 paragraph (1) of Law no. 115/2015, with the subsequent amendments and completions, at the proposal of the Permanent Electoral Authority and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the opinion of the National Committee for special emergencies.

Art. 3. - The mandates of the authorities of the local public administration included in the period 2016-2020 are extended until the date of taking over, according to the law, by the new authorities of the local public administration, the mandates resulting from the elections provided by art. 1, but no later than December 31, 2020.

Art. 4. - (1) At the elections for the local public administration authorities from 2020, the minimum number of supporters provided by art. 49 and 50 of Law no. 115/2015, with subsequent amendments and completions, will be reduced by half.

(2) By derogation from the provisions of art. 49 paragraph (2), art. 50 and art. 51 paragraph (5) of Law no. 115/2015, as subsequently amended and supplemented, at the elections for the local public administration authorities in 2020, for the local council candidacies and the function of mayor of the same constituency, respectively for the county council candidacies and the president of the county council from the same constituency, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances, citizens' organizations belonging to national minorities and independent candidates will present a single list of supporters.

Art. 5. - By derogation from the provisions of art. 47 paragraph (1) and art. 49 paragraph (2) of Law no. 115/2015, with the subsequent amendments and completions, to propose candidates in all the constituencies to the elections for the local public administration authorities of 2020, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances, citizens' organizations belonging to national minorities may choose to submit to the Electoral Bureau Centrally, within no more than 30 days from the beginning of the election period, lists of supporters at national level, comprising a minimum number of 25,000 voters, of which at least 500 voters in each county and 1,000 voters in Bucharest.

Art. 6. - (1) By exception from the provisions of art. 5, in order to submit applications in a county or the municipality of Bucharest in the elections for the local public administration authorities in 2020, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances, citizens' organizations belonging to national minorities may opt, instead of submitting lists of supporters, to prove the deposit in the bank account opened for the electoral campaign at the level of the respective county or of the municipality of Bucharest, as the case may be, of electoral contributions worth at least 50 minimum gross basic salaries in the country.

(2) By derogation from the provisions of art. 47 paragraph (1) and art. 50 of Law no. 115/2015, with the subsequent amendments and completions, the independent candidate can choose, instead of submitting a list of supporters, to prove in the bank account opened for the electoral campaign an electoral contribution amounting to at least 3% of the maximum allowed value for the position for which he / she is applying, according to art. 28 paragraph (12) lit. b) - n) of Law no. 334/2006 regarding the financing of the activity of political parties and electoral campaigns, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions.

(3) The electoral contributions provided by par. (2) and (3) may be used only under the conditions provided by Law no. 334/2006, republished, with subsequent amendments and completions.

Art. 7. - (1) In the elections for the local public administration authorities in 2020, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances, citizens' organizations belonging to national minorities and independent candidates may choose to prepare and submit electronically, according to the law, lists of supporters and application files, with the appropriate application of the provisions of art. 47 and art. 49 - 51 of Law no. 115/2015, as subsequently amended and supplemented.

(2) The methodology of applying the provisions of par. (1) shall be established by a decision of the Permanent Electoral Authority, adopted within no more than 30 days from the date of entry into force of this emergency ordinance.

Art. 8. - Paragraph (3) of article 151 of the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2019 regarding the Administrative Code published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 555 of July 5, 2019, is amended and will have the following content:

"(3) The mandate of the mayor referred to in par. (1) shall be exercised until the new mayor elected the oath. The mayor's mandate can be extended, by organic law, in case of war, natural calamity, disaster, particularly serious disaster or in other situations expressly provided by law when, because of these situations, elections cannot be organized under the conditions of par. (1)."