BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of Romanians angry over the cancellation of a presidential election marched in Bucharest on Sunday to demand that the ballot should go ahead and that outgoing centrist President Klaus Iohannis should resign.

In a move that polarized voters, Romania’s top court voided the presidential election on December 6, two days before the second round.

The cancellation came after state documents showed frontrunner Calin Georgescu, a critic of NATO, benefited from an unfair social media campaign possibly orchestrated by Russia, accusations denied by the Moscow.

The court ordered that the election be held again in general. The pro-European coalition government has yet to approve a calendar for the elections, although party leaders have agreed to hold two rounds on May 4 and May 18.

Iohannis, whose term expired on December 21, will remain until his successor is chosen.

On Sunday, thousands of protesters, including left-wingers and those angry at the way the election was cancelled, joined the protest organized by the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), the second largest party in Romania.

“We demand the return of democracy by holding elections in the second round,” AUR leader George Simion told reporters.

Organizers said 100,000 people were at the protest, but riot police on the march put the number at about 20,000. Protesters waved flags and chanted “Freedom” and “Bring back the second round.”

“Our right to vote has been destroyed,” said Bogdan Danila, a 43-year-old truck driver. “Moreover, Iohannis was in power for ten years and did nothing for the people, while the parties betrayed us, they are all corrupt. We want something else.”

Some protesters carried pictures of Georgescu or Christian Orthodox icons while street vendors sold flags and vuvuzelas.

“The authorities must say why they canceled the election, we want to see the evidence,” said Cornelia, 57, an economist draped in a Romanian flag who declined to give her last name.

“At this rate we won’t vote, they will impose a leader like the old days.”

It remains unclear whether Georgescu, who opposes Romania’s support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, will be allowed to run for president again.