BUCHAREST, Romania – Was a top contender for the Romanian presidency zapped out of the race by a shadowy parapsychologist enlisted by his rival?
The claim might be dismissed as preposterous in most other European Union countries. But here in Romania, home of Dracula and other occult traditions, Mircea Geoana’s assertion that a “negative energy attack’’ led to his narrow loss to reelected President Traian Basescu has been the talk of the nation.
“The Evil Witch defeated Geoana,’’ wrote the daily Evenimentul Zilei in a recent commentary typical of the buzz. “Romanian politicians really believe that magic forces can make you president or can destroy you.
“May the Force be with us!’’
Like most former Soviet bloc nations, Romania is used to rough and tumble politics and the first claims and counterclaims after Basescu’s narrow Dec. 6 runoff victory were nothing out of the ordinary, with Geoana’s people complaining of massive fraud.
Then came the startling allegation: Geoana, in media interviews last week, asserted that he was targeted by waves of negative energy during a key debate just before the runoff that was won by Basescu.
“People who were working for Basescu in this domain were present to the right of the camera,’’ Geoana told Antena 3 Television. His wife, Mihaela said Geoana “was very badly attacked, he couldn’t concentrate.’’
At first Romanians mocked their former foreign minister saying he was a bad loser. Basescu himself jokingly dismissed the allegations. But the recent publication of photos showing well-known parapsychologist Aliodor Manolea close to Basescu during the campaign has caused Romanians to wonder whether the president really did put a hex on his rival.
The photos show Manolea, a slightly built, bearded man with a round face and cropped receding hair, walking yards behind Basescu ahead of the debate. Manolea’s specialties include deep mind control, clairvoyance, and hypnotic trance, according to the Romanian Association of Transpersonal Psychology.
For weeks, Basescu’s office declined to comment on Manolea, with officials referring inquiries to the Liberal Democratic Party that supported the president. Officials there gave evasive answers, but not outright denials.
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http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2010/01/24/occult_cited_in_romanian_election/
