Romanian Liberal Leader Refuses To Back Basescu For Reelection

Romanian liberal leader Crin Antonescu, who secured third place in voters’ preferences in the first round of presidential election Sunday, said he excludes any alliance with incumbent President Traian Basescu and won’t back him in the December 6 election runoff.

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Antonescu said a second presidential term going to Basescu would be a hard blow to the values of democracy.

"Any collaboration with Traian Basescu is out of the question, as is any support for him," Antonescu said, adding a collaboration with Basescu's democrat liberals is also excluded.

He criticized Basescu saying he is not a right-winged but a populist candidate and represents the greater of two evils for democracy.

Basescu, who represents Romania's political center, and leftist leader Mircea Geoana will face off in a second round of elections on December 6. Basescu obtained 32.84% of votes in the first round of elections and Geoana got 29.82%, according to preliminary results released by the Central Electoral Bureau after counts in 74.14% of polling stations. Antonescu came in third, with 20.35% of the votes.

Basescu said in a speech to his supporters Sunday evening after the release of exit polls that the country's right-wing won the first round of elections, and this has to be taken into account when the future Government is formed.

Basescu said that he and Antonescu secured together over 50% of the total votes, adding this should be considered when the future Government is set up.

Basescu repeatedly said during his campaign that he wants a right-wing Government of democrat liberals and liberals.

Whoever emerges as the country's next president will have to appoint a prime minister to carry through reforms conditioning the east European country's IMF-led EUR20 billion rescue loan.

Romania has been in a political gridlock since mid-October, when its democrat liberal government was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament, a first in the 20 years of democracy after the fall of the communist regime.

The Parliament has since rejected one proposed government headed by economist Lucian Croitoru and lawmakers have refused to vote on Basescu's second prime minister nomination, democrat liberal Liviu Negoita.

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