Incumbent Basescu Leads in Opinion Polls Ahead of Romania's Presidential Elections

Basescu, the informal leader of ruling Democratic-Liberal Party, PD-L, was followed by Mircea Geoana, the leader of the opposition Social Democrats, PSD. Geoana received 24% support in the CURS survey of 1602 respondents conducted between September 25 and October 7.

The margin of error in the poll was +/-2.45%, CURS said in a statement.

Crin Antonescu, of opposition National Liberal Party, PNL, ranked third with 15% support, followed by Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu with 13%, who runs as an independent, CURS said.

Some 39% of the respondents said they were undecided.

Last week Basescu nominated independent Lucian Croitoru as prime minister-designate after Romania's PD-L government fell in a no-confidence vote. Croitoru must put together a new ministerial team and present it to Parliament for approval by the end of this week. The opposition parties, who now have the majority in Parliament, have said they would not back Croitoru.