Which two presidential candidates will run in round two?

Presidential elections took place yesterday in Romania, with 12 candidates running the top spot. According to unofficial exit poll data at the close of this edition, the candidates who obtained the most votes in the race for the presidency are current President Traian Basescu, with 29-33 percent, and the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mircea Geoana, with 25-28 percent.

A second round of elections, to involve the two candidates with the most votes, is scheduled for 6 December, provided no candidate obtained half plus one votes yesterday. By the close of this edition, the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Crin Antonescu, had obtained 23-25 percent of the votes of Romanians. By 4 p.m. 36.19 percent of the country's population had voted.

At President Basescu's proposal, a referendum was held concomitantly yesterday, and people were asked to vote on a unicameral Parliament (replacing the current bicameral one) and on the reduction in the number of lawmakers to a maximum 300 from 471.

The referendum for a unicameral parliament brought 33.86 percent of Romania's population to the voting centres by 4 p.m., but it takes 50 percent plus one of the total number of voters to validate the proposal. Election day was marred by numerous incidents of possible frauds, with 1,310 calls to the 112 emergency number received at the national level by 5 p.m.. The polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m., when the first exit poll results were available.

"This is a show of exceptional power which Romanians can exercise. I am convinced they will demonstrate their sovereignty in their best interest. Romanians have the power both to tell the Parliament how to function and to elect their President," said Basescu, quoted by the NewsIn agency.

Geoana said that he voted for the referendum and for a president who would "resolve the real problems: the battle against the crisis, jobs, and the relaunching of Romania's agriculture and industry." Antonescu indicated that his vote was in favour of "a real and profound change, another way of doing politics, another way of living in Romanian society, another Romania."

standard.money.ro