Court annuls Austrian presidential poll, rerun called

By Hasan Tosun

VIENNA (AA) - Austria’s Constitutional Court on Friday annulled the results of May’s presidential election and called for a rerun, local media said.

Gehart Holzinger, the court’s president, had ordered a repeat of the run-off vote that saw former Green leader Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly beat the far-right Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer.

The court said the election would have to be repeated nationwide after the discovery of irregularities in the count in several voting districts.

Although the presidency is a largely symbolic role, the Freedom Party's close-run bid to take the office is seen as a mark of anti-migrant sentiment and disillusionment with mainstream politics.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Fatjon Prroni contributed to this story from Ankara.