Romanian opposition seeks new election

BUCHAREST, Romania — The leader of Romania’s opposition party demanded Tuesday that the results of weekend presidential and parliamentary elections be annulled because of fraud and a new vote be held.

Presidential candidate Traian Basescu, who heads the centrist Justice and Truth Alliance, claimed election authorities gave an extra 160,000 ballots, or 2.5 percent of the votes cast, to his main rival, Prime Minister Adrian Nastase of the ruling Social Democratic Party.

“We have no doubt this is fraud. … We want the immediate dismissal of election authorities,” Basescu said. “The entire electoral process is compromised. The repetition of the election is necessary.”

With about 90 percent of votes counted Tuesday, Nastase won almost 41 percent and Basescu almost 34 percent, leading to a runoff vote set for Dec. 12.

“I am no longer (just) fighting for the presidency, but to restore democracy in Romania. I am asking for international help,” Basescu said. Still, he pledged to take part in the runoff election.

He said election authorities credited the Social Democratic Party with 100,000 spoiled ballots, and he accused the party of busing people around the country so they could vote multiple times.

Social Democratic Party spokesman Miron Mitrea dismissed the accusations as coming from “sore losers.”

Victor Pasca, a deputy chairman of the Central Election Bureau, said that canceling the first round would be pointless because the president will be chosen in the runoff.

About 3,300 Romanians from the independent Pro Democracy Association and 50 foreign observers monitored the vote.