Romanian president Traian Basescu narrowly won re-election but his leftist challenger alleged fraud and vowed to contest the result, extending a deadlock that has imperilled an IMF-led financial rescue deal.
Mr Basescu won 50.3 per cent to 49.7 for Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana, official results showed today, a razor-thin margin that deepened a political schism in the EU newcomer that has paralysed reforms.
Mr Geoana, who claimed victory as soon as yesterday's voting ended, did not concede defeat, although his designated candidate for prime minister, Klaus Johannis, appeared to accept the outcome, telling reporters: "My road ends here."
Instead Mr Geoana, a former foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, said the party had evidence of "massive fraud", including multiple voting and buying votes.
"The required democratic solution is to contest the outcome of election at the Constitutional Court," he told journalists. He said the party would file a complaint tomorrow.
Election observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the second round of voting met commitments to the pan-European watchdog but urged authorities to investigate reports of irregularities, of which police recorded 194 cases.
The vote was one of the most important for the Balkan state since Stalinist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown and shot 20 years ago. The victor must appoint a new government that can restart talks with the International Monetary Fund and win the next tranche of a €20 billion aid deal.
The leu currency fell slightly against the euro and economic analysts said it illustrated the polarising debate over reforms to boost the economy and wipe out graft in the European Union's second poorest country and, according to Transparency International, one of its most corrupt.
Mr Basescu thanked his supporters in a brief appearance today and said he would make an official statement after the central election bureau validated the results tomorrow.
Mr Basescu, who had trailed Mr Geoana in opinion polls, owed his victory by about 70,000 votes to winning more than three-quarters of the 148,000 ballots cast by Romanians living abroad.
"The conduct of the second round confirms our initial assessment that this election was held generally in line with OSCE commitments," said Vadim Zhdanovic, head of the OSCE mission.
"But reports of irregularities should be investigated without delay," he added.
Political analysts said the abrasive Mr Basescu might struggle to form a government with other parties with which he repeatedly clashed over anti-corruption measures during his five-year term.
Mr Geoana rejected cooperation with Mr Basescu or his centre-right allies, the Democrat-Liberals, and said the Social Democrats and the Liberal party, the third largest, would continue working together against the rightists under a deal forged before the election.
Reuters