Romanians Elect Social Democrat Mircea Geoana For President – Exit Polls

A poll by INSOMAR shows Geoana got 51.6% and Basescu 48.4%. A poll by CCSB shows Geoana leading with 51.2% and Basescu with 48.8, while a third poll, by CURS, shows Geoana in the lead with 50.80% and Basescu with 49.2%. A fourth poll, by CSOP, shows both candidates at a 50%-50% tie.

Exit poll results were compiled for data amassed by GMT1700. Polls in the country closed at GMT1900 and some polling stations are still open abroad and the last closes at GMT0500 Monday morning in the United States, so the final vote count could shift the result in either direction.

Geoana, backed by liberals and the Hungarian minority party, has pledged to propose Sibiu mayor Klaus Johannis for prime minister to end the political gridlock the country has been in since the democrat liberal government collapsed in a no-confidence vote.

Parliament has since rejected one prime minister designated by Basescu and has refused to hold a vote for a second.

Romania, one of the European Union’s poorest states, relies on a EUR20 billion IMF-led rescue loan, of which it already got EUR6.6 billion. However, the country will not see further loan disbursements until it has a proper government in place and it adopts next year’s state budget.