PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: Voter Turnout In Second Round – 62.04%
The voter turnout in the second round of the presidential elections by 21:00 local time was 62.04%, according to the latest official data announced by the Central Electoral Bureau, higher than 52.31% in the first round.
According to Marian Muhulet, spokesperson of the Central Electoral Bureau, voter turnout was 61.41% in urban areas and 62.88% in rural areas by 21:00 local time. In the first round of the presidential elections, voter turnout was 52.31%, while in the second round of 2009 presidential elections, it was 56.99%, namely 54.72% in urban areas and 60.11% in rural areas. According to the Central Electoral Bureau data, 11,266,254 of electors cast their votes by 21.00 local time. Best voting turnout was registered in the counties of Ilfov (over 79%), Olt (over 67%), Alba, Cluj, Giurgiu, Prahova, Sibiu (over 66%), Dambovita, Teleorman (over 65%), while Harghita (47.82%) and Covasna (49.87%) were at the opposite pole. (Adevarul)
Transport Minister Inaugurates 22-Kilometer Segment Of Sibiu-Orastie Highway
Transport Minister Ioan Rus inaugurated Friday the third segment of Sibiu-Orastie highway, after a last check on the 22-kilometer segment to make sure traffic would be safe, given that there are still several works to be completed in the area.
Accompanied by media representatives, the minister said he should drive on the segment to check it, before opening it to traffic. The representatives of the constructions company stated there are certain land consolidation works to be completed, but they do not affect the traffic. (Adevarul)
Competition Council, Consumer Protection Authority Launch Price Comparison Pilot Project
Romanian authority for consumers’ protection (ANPC), the association for consumers’ protection, and Competition Council are jointly launching the pilot project “Consumer Good Price Monitor”.
The project targets correct information on the lowest prices at basic consumer goods and the stores where they can be bought from, through an online platform that would display weekly updates of basic food product prices, which might trigger a price decrease following a higher competition between stores. The pilot project will be implemented between March 1, 2015 — December 31, 2015, and will be financed from the state budget, then, the financial support will come from European funds. (Puterea)
Patriarch Daniel: In Romania’s History, God Even Acted Through Foreigners
Patriarch Daniel, the leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church, stated in Sunday morning preaching, that in the history of the Romanians, God often acted through foreigners as a response to people’s prayers to get freedom and national unity.
Patriarch Daniel, who voted at around 17:00 hours in Bucharest, explained the spiritual lesson in “Parable of the Good Samaritan”: “Your neighbor is the person by which God is helping, usually in unexpected ways. Many times, the help comes from an outsider, a person that we’ve never seen before or that we’ve never expected to get support from. Thus, the gospel shows that each person in the world, irrespective of ethnicity, social status or age, has got eternal and unique value,” the patriarch stated, quoted by basilica.ro. (Evenimentul Zilei)