Romanian incumbent won't 'negotiate' for votes

I have no intention of negotiating for Romanians' votes. I've asked no party to give me its votes.

Romania's centre-right incumbent President Traian Basescu said Tuesday he would not barter with political parties for votes before a run-off election against his rival Mircea Geoana.

- I have no intention of negotiating for Romanians' votes. I've asked no party to give me its votes - Basescu said at a press conference.

Basescu, who likes to portray himself as a political outsider, made an indirect call to Romanians to vote for him no matter whom they voted for in the first round on Sunday.

According to the latest results published Tuesday with 99.92 percent of votes counted, Basescu, who is supported by the Democrat Liberal Party, received 32.42 percent of the votes cast.

Geoana, of the rival Social Democrats, has 31.17 percent.

Final complete results are to be published on Wednesday.

Geoana said Tuesday he had reached a preliminary "political collaboration" agreement with the Liberals, whose leader Crin Antonescu came third with 20.02 percent in Sunday's contest, under which Klaus Iohannis, the mayor of the city of Sibiu, would become prime minister at the head of a new government.

The two opposition parties have been supporting Iohannis for the job since the fall of the centre-right government of Emil Boc mid-October, following a no-confidence vote by the opposition.

Political experts however said that any endorsement by Antonescu of Geoana would not necessarily prove decisive among a volatile electorate.