BUCHAREST: Romania`s constitutional court on Friday cancelled the country`s presidential election following allegations of Russian interference in favour of the farright frontrunner, just two days ahead of the run-off.

Romanian authorities objected after outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round of the election on Nov 24, a shock result in the EU and Nato member bordering Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the presidency declassified documents detailing allegations against Georgescu andRussia, including `massive` social media promotion and cyber-attacks.

The court said it had unanimously decided `to annul the entire electoralprocess for the election of the president of Romania... to ensure the correctness and legality of the electoral process`.

`The government will set a new datefortheelectionofthe president of Romania,` it added.

`Trampled democracy` Georgescu, a former senior civil servant, had been due to face centrist mayor Elena Lasconi inSunday`s runoff.

`Today is the moment when the Romanian state has trampled democracy,` Lasconi, a former journalist, 52, said in a video recording, calling the decision `illegal, immoral... crushing the very essence of democracy`.

Fears had been raised that if Georgescu won, the country would join the EU`s far-right bloc and undermine European unity against Russia.

Washington has warned of `serious negative impact` if Romania -whose strategic importance has increasedsince Russia invaded Ukraine turned away from the West.

Outgoing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who lost in the first round of presidential elections, welcomed the court`s decision in a post on Facebook.

It was, he said, `the only correct solution after the declassification of the documents... which show that the result of the Romanians` vote was blatantly distorted as a result of Russia`s intervention`.

The documents, drawn up for a security council meeting and published on Wednesday, said data had`revealed an aggressive promotional campaign, in violation of electoral legislation, and an exploitation of algorithms to increase the popularity of Calin Georgescu at an accelerated pace`.

Last week authorities slammed `preferential treatment` of Georgescu by TikTok, which the social media platform has denied. It said on Thursday it had `no evidence that a coordinated campaign has taken place on our platform to date`.

The European Commission announced however that it had stepped up monitoring of TikTok`srole in the elections.

A separate intelligence services document stated that Romania `is perceived by Moscow`s policy centres as an enemy state`.

Romania is a `target for aggressive Russian hybrid actions, including cyberattacks and hacks and leaks and sabotage`, it added.

Investigation Anti-corruption prosecutors said on Friday they have opened an investigation into `illegal operations with computer devices or software`.-AFP