Romanian far-right candidate submits presidential bid for repeat election

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Calin Georgescu, the far-right pro-Russian frontrunner in Romania's cancelled presidential election, submitted his candidacy for the May ballot re-run on Friday amid doubts that he will be allowed to run.

Romania's highest court annulled the ballot two days before the second round of voting in December, citing allegations of Russian interference in Georgescu's favour, which Moscow has denied.

Members of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration called Romania's cancelled election an example of European governments suppressing freedom of speech and political opponents.

On Friday, Georgescu filed his candidacy papers with the central election bureau, a required step ahead of the repeat election, while several hundred supporters waved flags and chanted his name.

"We embrace together the Trump-Vance administration for our shared values, namely peace, democracy and freedom," Georgescu told reporters, warning that an attempt to block his candidacy would not stand.

"The whole world is watching Romania."

If the electoral bureau accepts his bid, it would very likely be challenged at the top court, which has previously banned another far-right politician from running, arguing her anti-Semitic anti-European views made her unfit for the job.

Georgescu is under criminal investigation on six counts, including membership in a fascist organization and communicating false information about campaign financing. He has denied all wrongdoing.

The court must rule on potential challenges by March 19.

"There is no reason to invalidate Mr. Georgescu's candidacy," George Simion, the leader of opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), the country's second-biggest party to which Georgescu once belonged.

Georgescu has praised Romania's 1930s fascist leaders as patriots and martyrs and expressed admiration for both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He remains voters' top choice in opinion polls.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

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