(28 Nov 2004)
Bucharest
1. Close-up Romanian flags
2. Pull out to wide shot parliament building
3. Close-up newspapers for sale
4. Newspaper vendor selling newspaper to passing motorist
5. Exterior polling station
6. People entering polling station
7. Notices in polling station
8. Various people voting

Cernica, 20 kilometres from Bucharest
9. Men walking outside monastery in snow
10. Close-up sign for polling station
11. Various people, including priests, voting in monastery

Bucharest
12. Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase walking to polling station
13. Close-up Nastase's identification card
14. Various Nastase voting
15. SOUNDBITE: (Romanian) Adrian Nastase, Romanian Prime Minister:
"I voted for a very simple idea: for a Romania without poverty."
16. Romanian and European Union flags outside polling station
17. Various Bucharest mayor Traian Basescu voting
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Traian Basescu, Bucharest Mayor:
"I am confident I'll win in the first round."
19. Romanian President Ion Iliescu entering polling station
20. Various Iliescu voting

STORYLINE:

Exit polls in the Romanian election show the ruling party in the lead, but not by enough to avoid being forced into a run-off to elect the president.

Neither party has won a majority that would enable it to form a government, the polls indicated.

Shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m. (1900GMT) on Sunday, two exit polls predicted that the governing Social Democratic Party would get about 40 per cent of the vote, while the centrist Justice and Truth Alliance secured about 35 per cent of the vote.

Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase was in the lead in the presidential poll with up to 43.7 per cent, with challenger Traian Basescu in second place with just 35.2 per cent.

The results of the presidential race mean there will be a run-off on December 12.

The 54-year-old Nastase heads the ruling Social Democratic Party, seen by many to be the successor to the Communist Party.

Despite being regarded as the embodiment of the country's communist past, Nastase said he was the best candidate to take Romania into the European Union because he has personal ties to foreign leaders and has helped lead the country during four years of economic growth.

Basescu, the Bucharest mayor, is an inexperienced but outspoken and popular politician who rose to national fame by launching scathing attacks against the ruling party, which he accuses of fostering corruption and damaging democracy.

Basescu promises a Western-leaning future and has vowed to take Romania into the EU "with dignity," by implementing needed reforms to prepare the country for membership.

He also says Romania should continue to fight alongside the United States against terrorism and in Iraq, where Romania has about 700 soldiers.

Romania hopes to join the EU by 2007, but has been told to clean up endemic corruption and improve press freedom.

A first round winner was unlikely because a candidate would need to secure more than 50 per cent of the vote.

The winner will replace President Ion Iliescu, who is stepping down after serving three terms.

About 3,300 Romanian and 50 foreign observers monitored the election. Official results are expected by Tuesday.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть