Basescu led in Romania race ahead of runoff
Traian Basescu

Basescu led in Romania race ahead of runoff

November 26, 2009 at 11:30 | Associated Press
Complete election results show Romania's incumbent centrist president came in slightly ahead of his ex-foreign minister rival before a presidential runoff on Dec. 6.

Traian Basescu polled 32.4 percent and Mircea Geoana took 31.1 percent in Sunday's race. Conservative Crin Antonescu who leads the Liberal Party came in third with some 20 percent in the final tally released Thursday. There will be a runoff because no one got more than 50 percent of the vote.

The Liberals and Geoana's Social Democratic Party signed an agreement Wednesday to form a governing coalition.

Romania is mired in political and economic crisis and has been without a proper government since mid-October. The International Monetary Fund froze a €1.5 billion ($2.2 billion) loan due to the uncertainty.