A woman votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
BUCHAREST, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has taken a narrow lead in Romania's presidential election, securing 21.9 percent of the vote with 77 percent of ballots counted, according to partial results released late on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, trailed closely with 21.3 percent. Elena Lasconi, the leader of the Save Romania Union, is in third place at 16.3 percent, followed by George Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians at 14.5 percent.
Key areas such as Bucharest, with 930,000 votes, and the diaspora, with 820,000 votes, remain largely uncounted. Together, these regions account for 1.7 million of the 2.8 million votes still to be tallied and are expected to significantly influence the outcome of this election's first round.
Exit polls indicate that Lasconi could perform well in these areas, potentially narrowing her 450,000-vote gap with Ciolacu. If she surpasses him, the final runoff could shift from a Georgescu-Ciolacu contest to a Georgescu-Lasconi showdown.
With a substantial number of votes yet to be counted, analysts caution that the final standings are too close to call. Who will challenge Georgescu in the runoff hinges on the uncounted ballots from these decisive areas. Final results are eagerly anticipated. ■
Romania's Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (C) votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
A woman votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
George Simion (L), leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), looks on as his wife votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
A woman votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
A man votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
A woman votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
Elena Lasconi, leader of the Save Romania Union (USR), votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
A man votes during the first round of the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest, Romania, Nov. 24, 2024. Romanians headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of the presidential election, choosing from 14 candidates to lead the country for the next five years. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)