#Europeanelections2019/ ForMin Melescanu says nothing to reproach himself for voting abroad

Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Sunday evening that he is not to be blamed for the long lines of Romanian voters at the polling stations aboard on Sunday, saying that political consensus is needed to change election legislation. "The very large participation contradicted virtually all the assessments we had. (...) Mostly, at least at one third - two-thirds of the polling stations abroad there were voters waiting in long lines for two hours and even longer. The same was true in Bucharest, I saw that. (...) It was a very powerful activity to get them out to vote, which happened. As far as I am concerned, I believe we reached the limits of what we can provide in terms of voting abroad," Melescanu told Antena 3 private broadcaster. According to Melescanu, Romania needs a new legislation on voting abroad, whether it is about switching to an electronic voting system or about postal voting. "We do not have the material or human resources to cover the areas where there is a large majority of Romanians. (...) I agree with the idea of securing the widest consensus in Parliament to find an acceptable voting system to allow us to get out of this mess," Melescanu added. Asked about the possibility of resignation as a result of the situation at the polling stations abroad, Melescanu replied that he has nothing to reproach himself. "I personally have nothing to blame myself for, but I see the need to find a solution so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign minister will no longer be blamed for these things, because it is totally unjust and unfair," said Melescanu. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mirela Barbulescu, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)