ROMANIA: Romania was on tenterhooks last night after Prime Minister Mr Adrian Nastase and Bucharest Mayor Mr Traian Basescu both claimed to be the country's new president.
One exit poll indicated a dead heat in the ballot, while another gave Mr Nastase - the clear favourite ahead of yesterday's second round run-off - a lead of just 1.4 per cent, well within the survey's margin of error.
The neck-and-neck outcome of a fiercely fought campaign raised the possibility of lawsuits and protests from the eventual loser, which could damage Romania's standing as it aims for European Union entry in 2007.
Brussels is set to give its final seal of approval on accession for the 22 million-strong state at a summit later this week.
"I will be a strong president," Mr Nastase (54) told cheering supporters last night, insisting that the official count, which is due today, would give him victory. "I'm sure the final result will favour us."
Mr Nastase won the first round a fortnight ago by 41 per cent to 34, in voting that Mr Basescu's Justice and Truth Alliance said was marred by massive fraud committed by the ruling Social Democrats (PSD), who won a parliamentary election on the same day. Several democracy watchdogs backed Mr Basescu's allegations.
Last night, the underdog former ship's captain declared himself president, and promised to fulfil his campaign pledge to crush the endemic corruption and inefficiency that are the EU's main reservations about its candidate member.
"I thank Romanian voters for their extraordinary trust, I promise them I will be a president that all Romanians will be happy with," a smiling Mr Basescu (53) told his followers. "I thank my formidable team. You can win elections with little money in Romania," he said, hinting at the formidable financial muscle of the Mr Nastase's PSD.
In the first round of voting, exit polls gave Mr Nastase and the PSD far greater leads than they enjoyed in the final results, a fact that gave Mr Basescu hope for a shock victory last night.
The PSD has already begun talks with possible allies in a coalition government but, if Mr Basescu wins the presidential poll, he will nominate a prime minister and could prompt smaller parties to back a DA coalition government.
The election battle has shocked stalwarts of the PSD, which has run Romania for most of the 15 years since communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown and executed.
The majority of PSD leaders, Mr Nastase included, emerged from the lower echelons of the Ceausescu regime, and Mr Basescu has struck a resonant public chord with stinging criticism of their alleged cronyism and corruption.
His down-to-earth manner has won over many voters, but pre-election opinion polls showed an apparently clear preference for Mr Nastase's suave, though often stuffy and aloof, style.
Mr Nastase's victory was seen as all but assured by his support in rural Romania, where his two most powerful allies - the Orthodox Church and his mentor, the outgoing, veteran president Mr Ion Iiescu - have been reassuring, constant presences during a decade-and-and-a-half of rapid change.