Bucharest, Jan 10 /Agerpres/ - Leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) George Simion and party MPs on Friday petitioned the Constitutional Court to revise its ruling for the cancellation of the presidential election and to instruct the resumption of the electoral process with the second round.

'This is not a form of pressure, as per claims by some who would probably like to see all protests silenced and have us sit obediently because they know best what to do: hold elections in two or maybe three years, for them to decide who should be president, because, apparently, if the Romanian people decide, it's not OK. We are here to defend democracy, to defend the rule of law. (...) We stand with the Romanian people, not with a person. We wonder why Mrs. Lasconi is not here. The Romanian people have voted. We cannot sneer down at Romanians so spitefully. We are here to defend democracy, to defend the rule of law,' Simion declared in front of the Constitutional Court headquarters.

AUR considers that the cancellation of the presidential election represents a direct 'attack' on Romanian democracy, and the CCR ruling 'defies' the freely expressed will of the citizens and 'undermines' trust in the fundamental institutions of the state, as well as the legitimacy of the electoral process.

Against this background, AUR is organizing a rally on January 12, providing Romanians with 'a platform' to express their dissatisfaction 'with the coup d'état carried out by those who want the perpetuation of a system in which power is not bestowed by the citizens.'

'We have undertaken to organize a large protest rally. On Sunday, as of 2:00 p.m., starting in [University Square, where blood was shed for Romanians to be free, tens of thousands of Romanians will hold a peaceful protest. We trust that not all of Romania's state institutions have been hijacked and that they will join us in this endeavor to offer Romanians a platform to protest peacefully. This is not our protest, this is the protest of the Romanian people. We are simply providing Romanians with the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights,' the AUR leader said.

According to AUR, the demonstration is authorized and will march along the route University Square - Victoriei Square - Basarab Passage - Cotroceni Palace - Opera Square - Victoriei Avenue - Victoriei Square.

The Constitutional Court of Romania registered on Friday a request filed by Calin Georgescu's lawyers to revise the constitutional authority's decision to cancel the first round of the presidential election.

Several thousands gathered in front of Parliament, where the CCR is also seated, to request the court to backtrack on this decision.

The participants rallied in response to a call launched by Calin Georgescu on social networks under the slogan 'The Grand Legal Union'. AGERPRES (RO - author: Sorinel Penes, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)