Presidential Elections – UPDATE 2

Klaus Iohannis wins presidential race in Romania.

România Internațional, 17.11.2014, 11:53

Klaus Iohannis, the candidate of the main opposition force in Romania, the centre-right Christian Liberal Alliance has won the second round of the presidential elections held on Sunday, when he faced the Social Democratic prime minister Victor Ponta, representing the ruling alliance made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party. According to the Central Electoral Bureau, after counting the ballots cast in 99% of all polling stations, Iohannis won 54.51% of the vote, while Ponta won 45.49%. The latter conceded defeat but said he would not resign from his position as prime minister. Voter turnout was almost 64%, the highest in the last 18 years. Political commentators say Iohannis’ victory is a surprise given that in the first round on November 2 he won 30% of the votes, while Ponta got 40%. The term of Romania’s current president, Traian Basescu, comes to an end on December 21.