Pro-West opposition leader wins presidential run-off in Romania

The opposition leader Traian Basescu emerged victorious from Romania's presidential elections yesterday, promising to tackle corruption and backtracking on suggestions that he would re-open a deal on the country's EU membership bid.

The opposition leader Traian Basescu emerged victorious from Romania's presidential elections yesterday, promising to tackle corruption and backtracking on suggestions that he would re-open a deal on the country's EU membership bid.

The victory for Mr Basescu, a former oil tanker captain who will replace the veteran former Communist leader, Ion Iliescu, came as diplomats prepare formally to close negotiations over EU membership today. The terms of the deal struck by Romania, which is due to enter in 2007, was a key election issue.

But the country's ambassador to the EU, Lazar Comanescu, said there is no question of re-opening the agreement, adding: "On Tuesday there will be an accession conference which is expected, finally, to close the negotiations."

Asked about the election result, the French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, praised the electoral process but squashed any idea that the incoming administration could get a better deal out of the EU, saying it was "very late" to re-open talks.

Mr Basescu, an outspoken former mayor of Bucharest, will have the power to nominate the next prime minister.

With almost all the votes counted, Mr Basescu was declared the winner with 51.2 per cent of the ballot, compared to 48.8 per cent for his rival, the Social Democrat Prime Minister, Adrian Nastase.

Hailing the result, Mr Basescu said: "It was the will of the Romanian people that gave me this strong victory."