ides p read ▁elect oral ▁fra ud ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁pro - Comm un ist ▁Pet ru ▁Gro za ▁government . ▁Later , ▁historian ▁Pet re ▁ Ţ ur lea ▁review ed ▁a ▁confident ial ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁report ▁about ▁the ▁election ▁and ▁concluded ▁that ▁had ▁the ▁election ▁been ▁conducted ▁honest ly , ▁the ▁P N Ț ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁opposition ▁parties ▁could ▁have ▁won ▁enough ▁votes ▁between ▁them ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁coal ition ▁government ▁but ▁far ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁ 8 0 ▁percent ▁support ▁long ▁claimed ▁by ▁opposition ▁supp or ters . ▁ ▁After ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁the ▁P N Ț ▁was ▁s idel ined , ▁with ▁the ▁PC R ▁ens uring ▁the ▁collaboration ▁of ▁several ▁former ▁party ▁members , ▁such ▁as ▁Nicola e ▁L . ▁L up u ▁and ▁Anton ▁Alexand res cu . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁tele gram ▁to ▁the ▁State ▁Department , ▁the ▁US ▁representative ▁in ▁Roman ia , ▁Bur ton ▁Ber ry , ▁wrote : ▁ ▁" The ▁Department ▁well ▁knows ▁that ▁Man iu ▁has ▁stood ▁out ▁bold ly ▁as ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁pro - Al lied ▁action ▁and ▁sentiment ▁in ▁Rum ania ▁even ▁during ▁the ▁dark ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Anton es cu ▁dict ator ship . ▁He ▁has ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁political ▁following ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁I ▁believe ▁the ▁respect ▁in ▁which ▁all ▁Rum ani ans ▁hold ▁him ▁e cli ps es ▁that ▁held ▁for ▁any ▁other ▁R uman ian . ▁Because ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁and ▁what ▁he ▁is