Basescu survives recount and court challenge

Romanian President Traian Basescu has had his December 6th election victory confirmed.

The recount of some 137,000 annulled votes was completed early on Monday, doing nothing to change the result, and his rival Mircea Geoana was quick to accept defeat and wish Basescu well.

Geoana’s final option was an appeal to the country’s Constitutional Court to overturn the second round result and hold another, but the court refused to hear Geoana’s appeal, opening the way for Basescu to form a new government.

However the PSD opposition will be demanding a parliamentary inquiry into how the election was handled.