Romanian mayor wins election two weeks after death

Romanian villagers re-elected their mayor by a landslide even though he died two weeks back from Covid-19 complications.

Deveselu Mayor Ion Aliman, a Social Democrat, was re-elected to a third term with 64 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s election, which was held days after Aliman died of complications from COVID-19 on September 17.

A video shared on social media showed dozens of Aliman’s local supporters holding a candle light vigil at Aliman’s grave after voting ended.

Aliman’s name had already been printed on the ballots and it was too late to correct then before the start of voting, election officials said. They said the town will hold a special election to choose a new mayor, with Aliman’s deputy serving as interim mayor in the meantime.