November 2, 2014 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Mihai Pelin, 02.11.2014, 12:05
ELECTIONS — Standing Prime Minister Victor Ponta won the first round of the presidential elections in Romania on Sunday, November 2, 2014. He runs on behalf of the ruling coalition dominated by his party, the Social Democrats, alongside the Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party. Exit polls indicate that he grabbed approximately 40% of the vote, leading to the second round of elections on November 16. He will be facing off against centre right candidate on behalf of the Christian Liberal Alliance, Klaus Iohannis, incumbent mayor of the city of Sibiu. The latter got around 31% of the vote. Victor Ponta spoke after the results, saying that he wanted to reunite Romanians in rebuilding the country after 10 years of discord, while Klaus Iohannis said he was confident he would emerge victorious as the only candidate able to provide an independent judiciary and the rule of law. Running far behind the second round candidates are two independents (former PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu and former Minister of Justice Monica Macovei), and Elena Udrea, running on behalf of the party most closely associated with current president Traian Basescu. Over 52% of Romanians with voting rights expressed their votes in the poll. There were 14 candidates in the race, and around 49% of the 18 million Romanian voters had shown up at the polls by 7 PM local time, 5 PM GMT. The turnout was quite high at many of the 294 polls abroad, especially in Europe, but the voting process was fraught with difficulties in many places, with many complaints from voters and politicians alike.
UKRAINE — Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday held legislative and presidential elections in a Moscow-backed ballot harshly criticized by Kiev and Western powers. The self-proclaimed independent republics of Donetsk and Luhansk have boycotted last Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Ukraine, won by a landslide by pro-Western factions. According to Kiev, Sunday’s elections are in breach of the ceasefire agreement signed by Ukraine and Moscow in September in Minsk. Pundits believe the ballot is a complication of the peacemaking process in eastern Ukraine, which in the first six months of clashes between Government forces and pro-Russian militias, has killed over 4,000 people.
BOMB ATACK — At least 45 people, including women and children died on Sunday in a suicide bomb attack during a ceremony at the Wagah frontier outpost on the Indian border. Every day before sunset, Pakistani and Indian military gather at the border crossing point to simultaneously fly down the two national flags as part of a ceremony that brings together hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis.
TOURISM — Over 60 Romanian travel agents are taking part in the 35th edition of World Travel Market in London. Romania is trying to showcase the Romanian seacoast and the Danube Delta. Over 50,000 specialists in the tourism industry from 178 countries are attending this year’s event. World Trade Market is one of the most important tourism trade fairs of its kind in the world, enabling the creation of a network from travel agents worldwide, business meetings and partnerships. Romania has been taking part in this fair ever since its first edition 34 years ago.
HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team on Saturday outperformed Kosovo 30-16 in a match counting towards the 2018 European Championship qualifiers. This is the second win for Romania over Kosovo, after on Wednesday out team grabbed a 36-24 home win. Romania will also play Italy in June 2015. The top team will move on to the next phase. We recall that Romania must play in four qualifier groups to accede to the European Championships, where it last qualified in 1996.
