Romanian village re-elect mayor after he died from COVID-19

Deveselu, Romania.
Deveselu, Romania. Photo credit: Getty

Residents in a Romanian village have reportedly re-elected their mayor for another term, despite him dying from COVID-19 complications two weeks ago.

Ion Aliman was part of the Social Democrat Party and the mayor of Deveselu, a village of around 3000 people in southern Romania.

Aliman had been campaigning for his third term as mayor but died in a hospital in Bucharest on September 17, local media ProTV reported.

But officials told CNN Aliman's name had already been printed on the ballots and could not be removed.

At the local election on Sunday, Aliman won with 64 percent of the vote.

The villagers said he had done a good job and deserved the victory, CNN reported.

"It is your victory," one man said. "Know that you will be proud of us. Rest in peace."

An unnamed woman told television station ProTV: "He was a real mayor to us".

"He took the side of the village, respected all the laws. I don't think we will see a mayor like him again."

CNN reported a new election will be held.

Currently, Romania has recorded 123,944 cases of COVID-19, and 4748 deaths, according to Worldometer.