Polls show challenger Geoana holds lead in presidential run-off

Latest update : 2009-12-06

Romania votes Sunday in a presidential run-off while it grapples with a political crisis that has delayed aid from the International Monetary Fund. Polls indicate Social Democratic challenger Mircea Geoana is favoured to win.

AFP - Romanians vote on Sunday in a run-off to elect their new president, as the country grapples with recession and a deep political crisis which has delayed a crucial aid package by the IMF.

Polls were to open from 7:00 am (0500 GMT) until 9:00 pm.

The centre-right incumbent president Traian Basescu, a former sea captain, is facing the social-democrat chairman of the Senate and ex-diplomat, Mircea Geoana.

The two ended up neck-and-neck in the first round held on November 22 with Basescu garnering 32.44 percent of the votes and Geoana 31.15 percent.

However, Geoana is considered favourite for the Sunday vote after joining forces with the liberals, the third political party in the country. An opinion poll by Insomar institute published this week credited him with 54 percent of the votes.

No matter who the winner is, he will have no time to lose in appointing a prime minister, as the country, in the grip of severe recession, has been led by a caretaker government since October.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union and the World Bank, which in March agreed on a 20-billion-euro bail-out plan for Romania, expect urgent steps to cut public spending.

In his campaign, Basescu pleaded for "accelerating reforms" and reducing public expenditure. His rival promised a "return to stability" and a "unification" of Romanians after "five years of tensions and scandals". He also said he wanted to preserve jobs.

If he is elected, Geoana promises the country will have a new government before Christmas led by an independent personality, Klaus Iohannis. An ethnic German, Iohannis has been the popular mayor of the Transylvanian town of Sibiu, known for being the European capital of culture in 2007.

Such a government can count on the support of a majority of the parties in Parliament.

Though Basescu's governing Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) is rather isolated following the agreement between the left-wing social democrats and the liberals, he insisted the PDL would be able to find allies to form the future government. On Friday, he appealed to liberals for support, saying Romania needs a right-wing coalition government.

Over 18 million people out of the population of 21.5 million are eligible to vote. Exit polls will be released on Sunday evening but the first official results are not expected before Monday morning.

Participation reached 54.37 percent during the first round, better than expected as many Romanians claim disillusionment with their politicians, 20 years after the fall of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.