Polls put incumbent ahead in Romanian vote; fraud reported - Monsters and Critics

Polls put incumbent ahead in Romanian vote; fraud reported - Monsters and Critics:

Incumbent Romanian President Traian Basescu was leading in his bid for a second term in a poll marred by allegations of electoral fraud according to election forecasts, but not by enough to avoid a run-off.

According to voter surveys by polling groups INSOMAR, CURS and CCSB, Basescu had garnered 32.8 per cent to 34.1 per cent of the vote. Socialist Mircea Geoana came in second with 30.9 per cent to 31.7 per cent of the vote.

That would mean a run-off vote on December 6. Final results were not expected until Monday morning.

Hundreds of allegations of voter fraud were filed with Romanian electoral authorities by midday Sunday.

The allegations came in from leading parties, including the centre-left Social Democrats (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the centre-right Democrat-Liberals (PD-L), but also from media outlets and private citizens.

Eyebrows were raised by the fact that, three hours after the start of voting, 6.17 per cent of eligible votes had already been recorded - more than twice the rate at that time of day in the 2004 presidential and parliamentary polls.