Romanian Liberals Refuse Democrat Liberal Leader's Invitation To Talks On Parliament Majority

Liberal leader Crin Antonescu said that since the Constitutional Court has not yet ruled on the validity of the presidential election's outcome and Prime Minister-designate Liviu Negoita has not resigned or received Parliament endorsement, liberals cannot take part in talks on forming parliament majority.

Antonescu added talks must also be held with the country's legitimate president.

Democratic Liberal Party leader Emil Boc sent the Liberal Party a written invitation to begin talks on forming a majority and a Cabinet, democrat liberal vice-president Adriean Videanu said Wednesday.

Videanu said serious talks on principles and government programs between the two parties can begin after the Constitutional Court will have validated the presidential election, which is now subject to rigging claims on the part of social democrats whose candidate lost.

Romania's incumbent President Traian Basescu was reelected for a new five-year term Sunday. Basescu obtained 50.33% of the votes in the election runoff and social democrat Mircea Geoana got 49.66%, according to final results released Monday by the Central Electoral Bureau after counts in all polling stations.

Although Basescu's center-right democrat liberals have the most seats in Parliament, 167, that is not enough to push through a new prime minister to replace Boc, whose Cabinet collapsed mid-October in a no-confidence vote and now has limited powers until a new government is formed.

Both Basescu and democrat liberal officials have said their first choice of government would be a right-wing one. The country's right-wing Liberal Party backed the social democrat contender in the presidential race and were hoping to form a new Cabinet headed by Sibiu mayor Klaus Johannis.

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