Independent candidate harassed by candidate of PNL party, former PSD mayor

Independent candidate harassed by candidate of PNL party, former PSD mayor

• Vişinel Balan, an independent candidate as mayor in the romanian town of Joiţa and a Radio Free Europe journalist accompanying him, have been harassed by the former PSD mayor (now running as candidate for PNL)

• The two harassed citizens filed charges at the local police station of Joiţa, handing over video material of the incident caught on camera.

Joița, Giurgiu - Vişinel Balan is a known activist in the domains of children's rights, especially those from orphanages. At the moment he is running as an independent candidate for mayor and city counselor of the romanian town Joiţa. (He is supported by the pan-european movement Volt, sharing the same pro-european, pragmatic, progressive policies, connected to the needs of the people.)

On September XX Balan went to the electoral office to report banners that had been put up illegally. He was accompanied by a journalist of Radio Free Europe. This inquiry seemed to be enough of a reason for the current candidate of PNL party and former PSD mayor to harass and physically attack both Balan and the journalist.

“I get the feeling they think we are peasants in their kingdom and if things don’t go the way they want, their solution is using violence.”, said Vişinel Balan. “Although my objective - to report the banners put up illegally to the electoral office - was completely appropriate, those ticks that took hold of our commune have tried to intimidate me. The mayor rushed out of the town hall and started physically attacking me as well as the journalist of Radio Free Europe. Apparently this is their usual way to act against citizens: spreading fear is their preferred reaction. Would you like to know what that situation felt like? It felt as if I was somehow disturbing a clan.”

During the ensuing scuffle the zoom function of the journalist's camera lense was broken. In spite of that he was still able to film the incident and later on hand the evidence to the local police department, where the two of them filed charges. 

The Volt movement brought this massive violation of democratic principles to public attention in order to take a strong stand against attempts of intimidating political opponents and for transparent democratic elections.    

“We can’t tolerate this kind of violent people anymore, who push communication aside and aggression becomes the usual way to solve problems. The people that used to bury this town need to leave in order for those that are interested in the future of all of us to run this place!” declares Vişinel Balan. He claims that his vision for the commune is based on benefitting its citizens, on approaching everyone at eye level and resurrecting the community on the foundation of freedom and social equality, on democracy and its very principles. According to his government program, the main objectives by which he proposes to achieve this are transparency by digitalizing the local administration and fighting against corruption, improving education and local infrastructure, developing health facilities, protecting the environment, strengthening agriculture and improving social support.

To learn more about the electoral campaign of Vişinel Balan in Joiţa see Vișinel Bălan, or read his government program:  www.primar.visinelbalan.ro

To learn more about the movement Volt visit  www.volteuropa.org or www.voltromania.org.