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Romanian vote-upset alters the balance
Uganda News.Net
Tuesday 2nd December, 2008
The Social Democratic Party in Romania has won the first parliamentary election since the country became a member of the European Union last year.
The party, which is comprised of former communists, claimed victory with about 33 percent of the vote.
After a close vote, Romania's Central Election Bureau announced that the Social Democrats received a little more than one-third of the vote, less than one percent more than their nearest rival, the opposition Democrat-Liberal Party of Romanian President Traian Basescu.
Yet despite his party's gains, it remains unclear whether the 50-year-old head of the Social Democrats, Mircea Geoana will be able to become the next prime minister.
Under Romania's constitution President Basescu can name the next government leader, regardless of the election results.
Analysts say the voting switch occurred because Romanians lost faith in the government's perceived inability to tackle unemployment and the impact of the global economic crisis.
Thousands of people are out of work in Romania, with factories and offices closing down.
Millions of Romanians, including pensioners, are living in poverty.
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