• Romania's presidential election eclipsed by political crisis

    By: LAURENTIU COLINTINEANU, Associated Press

    BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanians are set to choose the country's new president Sunday, in a traditionally highly-contested election overshadowed this year by a political crisis which saw a minority government installed just days ago.

    Polls show incumbent center-right President Klaus Iohannis ahead with around 40%, followed by the center-left candidate Viorica Dancila, until last month Romania's prime minister, at 15-22%.




    While lacking an executive role, Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy, and can reject party nominees for the prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.

    The president - elected for a 5-year term - can also return legislation approved by parliament, but has to ratify it if lawmakers back it a second time.

    Political analyst Andrei Taranu said campaigning has been "extremely bland" this time, due to the government crisis.

    "Usually, campaigns are aggressive, emotional and lack any policy content," he said. "This time there wasn't even any emotion. Instead, everything was focused on the no-confidence vote."



    Other leading candidates in Sunday's vote include independent Mircea Diaconu, a former actor and theater director, and Dan Barna, who heads Romania's third-largest party, the center-right Union Save Romania.


    "This situation kept Klaus Iohannis and Viorica Dancila in the spotlight, while other candidates had no chance to rise on the political stage," he said.


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