BEC declares Traian Basescu the winner of the presidential election

Incumbent President Traian Basescu, the presidential candidate endorsed by the Democratic Liberal Party (PD-L), has won the presidential election, according to the vote returns centralised by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), BEC spokesman Marian Muhulet reported on Wednesday.

Muhulet mentioned that the final report on the presidential election will be submitted this evening to the Constitutional Court for final certification.

BEC announced having completed the vote count according to the all original reports from the polling centres in the country and abroad.

According to the final centralised data of BEC, the winner of the December 6 presidential runoff is incumbent President Traian Basescu, who won 5,275,808 votes, or 50.33 percent of the total, to his challenger Mircea Geoana's 5,205,760, or 49.66 percent of the total.

Total voter turnout was 10,620,116, 986,887 of voters having cast their ballot at polling centres for non-resident voters and 47,189 voters having used the mobile ballot box.

The total number of valid ballot papers stood at 10,481,568, while 138,476 were voided.

The final vote report certifying the winner of the presidential election was signed by all the BEC members, except for officials Mihai Balasescu of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Serban Nicolae of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Dan Zamfirescu of the Greater Romania Party (PRM), BEC spokesman Muhulet reported.

The three political officials wrote down their objections to signing the report. Nicolae alleged a high number of irregularities - multiple voting, inexistent voters and electoral bribe - that should negate the figures released by BEC. Balasescu mentioned that his refusal to sign the report is given by the fact that a challenge has been lodged with the Constitutional Court to cancel the outcome of the December 6 poll because of 'electoral fraud that took place by multiple voting, votes bought through electoral bribe and vote thefts.'

Muhulet mentioned that the final vote report is valid even without the signatures of the three BEC members.

Agerpres