© Agence France-PresseA policeman patrols in front of the Parliament Palace in Bucharest in 2008. Romanian lawmakers on Tuesday voted against a bill aiming to counter the pernicious effects of witchcraft, a text which had angered many fortune-tellers ans clairvoyants
"I am very disappointed, the bill was meant to prevent people from being deceived by so-called witches," Liberal-Democrat MP Alin Popoviciu, who initiated the bill, told AFP.
Under the text, fortune-tellers and clairvoyants were to be licensed, pay taxes and set up professional associations.
"The bill angered many witches who threatened to cast a spell in order to make it fail. It seems they have succeeded," Popoviciu added.
But the government too seems to have sided with the witches as it called on MPs to vote against the bill, fearing it would "make witchcraft legitimate".
Popoviciu however said he would not give up on his idea and would try to find another way to get it passed by parliament.
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