Official results confirm Basescu, Geoana in Romanian run-off

26/11/2009

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Final results issued early Thursday (November 26th) confirm that incumbent Traian Basescu of the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) won 32.5% of the votes in the first round of the presidential election Sunday. The Central Electoral Bureau added that Mircea Geoana of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) will be Basescu's opponent in the run-off on December 6th, with 31% of the vote. Crin Antonescu of the National Liberal Party (PNL), trailed with 20% of the vote. He and Geoana signed a political agreement between their parties Wednesday covering both the presidential run-off and a new coalition in parliament that will have full majority. The PNL and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians signed a similar agreement, boosting the new coalition.

Meanwhile, the final results of the referendum that coincided with Sunday's election suggest that 78% of voters back a single-chamber parliament rather than a bicameral one, while 89% of them voted to downsize the number of lawmakers from 471 to no more than 300. Officials say turnout for the referendum was 51%. (Jurnalul National, Agerpres, Mediafax, Hotnews.ro - 26/11/09; Xinhua, Hotnews.ro, Agerpres - 25/11/09)