Traian Basescu, Romania's incumbent president who came first in the Sunday presidential elections, according to exit polls, and is due to go into the second round against Social Democrat Mircea Geoana, said on exit poll announcement that his biggest joy was that the referendum was validated by voter turnout. And he courted with his statements the voters of third-placed Liberal candidate Crin Antonescu.
At the moment over 50% of voters cast their ballots in the referendum (which he called for the reformation of the Parliament), Basescu said.
According to Basescu:
- Beyond the estimated results presented by TV stations, I believe we have the biggest reason for joy and satisfaction - the referendum was validated.
- Maybe over 80% of voters were in favor of the reform called by the referendum (which asked whether they agreed with a single-chamber parliament and a smaller number of MPs)
- Today we obtained a one-phase victory in the presidential race
- In the first round we have a score very close to the one in 2004 (when the previous presidential elections took place), which we registered as an alliance. This proves an extraordinary progress towards our voters
- The vote of the Romanian electorate was a profoundly rightist one
- We along PNL obtained together over 50% as compared to the almost 34% which we received together in 2004
- It is a extremely serious reason for political people to consider the option of voters in the formation of the future government
- Political people no longer have the right to ignore the will of the people when they know what this will is
- The referendum might have been avoided if the parliamentary majority answered to repeated requests that I made for a review of the Constitution
- Today, Romanians said "Politicians, you have to make a single-chamber Parliament and have to reduce the number of MPs"
- I demand the Parliament after the validation of the referendum to imediately call the commission for a review of the Constitution
