Romanian President, Chief Rival Face Run-Off Vote
23 November 2009
With nearly all ballots counted, Mr. Basescu was carrying about 33 percent of the vote to Geoana's 30 percent.
Conservative opposition leader Crin Antonescu, running third with 20 percent, said Monday he would not support the incumbent and would likely throw his support to Geoana. His support is seen as critical to winning the presidency.
European monitors said the polls largely met international standards for fairness. But the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in a preliminary report, noted shortcomings, most of them related to incidents at special voting centers.
The Bucharest government collapsed in October over disputes within the two-party ruling coalition about who would control the interior ministry.
The resulting leadership vacuum prompted the International Monetary Fund to withhold the third installment of a $30 billion loan until a new government is formed.
Under Romanian law, the president is key to reviving the government because he nominates a prime minister who parliament must then approve. The prime minister then forms a new government.
The presidential election is Romania's first since it entered the European Union in 2007.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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