Romania - presidential election

Neck and neck race prompts presidential runoff

Article published on the 2009-11-23 Latest update 2009-11-23 18:48 TU

Romania's incumbent President Traian Basescu (R) shakes hands with Mircea Geoana (L).
(Photo: Reuters)

With about three-quarters of the vote counted, incumbent president centre-right Traian Basescu obtained 32 per cent of the vote, while his rival, social-democrat Mircea Geoana had 29.2 per cent.

Both are now seeking alliances in view of the second round of a presidential election, which will take place on 6 December. The liberal candidate Crin Antonescu came third with about 21 per cent. Antonescu immediately announced that he would not support Basescu.

Antonescu immediately said that he would not support Basescu and that any deal with Geoana would depend on his plan to tackle an economy that is expected to shrink by eight percent this year.  The IMF, the EU and the World Bank have delayed a huge international aid package until a new government is formed.

"I rule out any collaboration with Traian Basescu and any support for Traian Basescu", Antonescu told a press conference. "A victory for Basescu would put Romania's democracy in danger."

His PNL party blames Basescu for the breakup in 2007 of the governing coalition between the PNL and the Liberal Democrats, the party to which the president belongs.

"On December 6, we will win together," Geoana, a former ambassador to the United States and ex-foreign minister told supporters.  "It is then the hardest work will begin: we need to unite the country after five years of scandals and discord," he added.

The country has been in the hands of a caretaker government after the collapse of Prime Minister Emil Boc's centre-right government in October.

This is the first election of a head of state since Romania entered the European Union in January of 2007.

Because of the economic crisis, this presidential election is viewed as the most important since the fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.