ROMANIA-GYPSY-ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS

A Roma Alliance party member tries to persuade people 20 November 2004 to go to the polls in Tocila, a worker district in the outskirts of the town of Medias, where gypsies occupy an abandoned block of flats, 370 kms northwest of Bucharest. Romanian self-titled „Gypsy King” Florin Cioaba is campaigning for the 28 November 2004 parliamentary elections, hoping to become the first member of the Roma community to be elected to parliament. General elections are scheduled for 28 November 2004. AFP PHOTO DANIEL MIHAILESCU