World

Austrian presidential election must be held again, rules court

The court says it was using its strict standard on the application of election rules

Reuters July 01, 2016

Presidential candidates Alexander Van der Bellen (R) and Norbert Hofer react during a TV debate in Vienna, Austria, April 24, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

VIENNA: Austria's presidential run-off election must be held again, the country's Constitutional Court ruled on Friday, handing the Freedom Party's narrowly defeated candidate another chance to become the first far-right head of state in the European Union.

Norbert Hofer of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO) lost the May 22 vote to former Greens leader Alexander Van der Bellen by less than one percentage point, with postal ballots having tipped the balance in Van der Bellen's favour.

Far-right on edge of power as Austria votes for president

The court said it was using its strict standard on the application of election rules.

Witnesses have told it of irregularities in the way the count was carried out, including the processing of postal ballots sooner than they should have been.

COMMENTS (1)

ishrat salim | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistanio learn from them. And the election commission and judiciary should all learn from them too. When the last commission report by the SC with regard to 2013 electiin was made public, it was concluded that the election was mismanaged. This was enough to declare the whole process null and void.

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