Investigate Romania poll urgently says Watson

4.42.31pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 30th Nov 2004

"The EU must act decisively to verify the election results in Romania. Otherwise the orange banners on the streets of Kiev will be replicated in Bucharest," said Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament.

Calling on Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Council High Representative Javier Solana to intervene to ensure respect for the opposition's request for a ballot re-run if the ballot-rigging is substantiated, Mr Watson, who was in Bucharest over the weekend, regretted the evidence of widespread electoral fraud at the polls in an EU candidate country.

"The difference between the two parties is so small that multiple voting could well have changed the outcome. The EU or OSCE should send in independent experts to examine the irregularities as requested by the Justice and Truth Alliance and by NGOs", he added.