Pressure mounts on Romanian left to yield power

Romania's centrist opposition, buoyed by a presidential election victory of their leader Traian Basescu, piled pressure on the ruling left yesterday to abandon its bid to cling to power or face early elections.

The governing PSD and Mr Basescu's centrists have almost equal strength in the parliament elected last month and are now locked in a tug-of-war over who will lead the poor Balkan country into the European Union in 2007.

The balance of power in parliament lies with smaller parties which have yet to decide whom to back.

Under Romania's constitution, it is up to the president to nominate the new prime minister - a pivotal right after the November 28 general election produced a hung parliament.

"Basescu isn't willing to have a government run by the PSD or a PSD prime minister," Calin Tariceanu, the centrists' candidate for prime minister, said. "Basescu would lose his credibility if he appointed a PSD prime minister."

Mr Basescu, a straight-talking ex-sea captain who rode a wave of public discontent with poverty and graft to score an upset victory in Sunday's vote, said: "If parties don't understand or don't interpret correctly the run-off vote, then we will go back to the people - snap elections."

He won with 51 per cent of the vote, promising a new beginning for Romania, still struggling to overcome its communist legacy.

Analysts say Romania needs a strong, pro-reform government to complete structural changes and root out endemic corruption - crucial tasks if the country is to meet tough EU entry criteria and sustain strong economic growth.

The ex-communist PSD, led by Mr Basescu's unsuccessful rival Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, have sought to lure the centrists into a broad coalition but were flatly turned down.

Mr Basescu campaigned on a platform of radical tax cuts coupled with zero tolerance for corruption and political patronage, which has become rampant under the PSD government.

"Cohabitation between a president clearly from the opposition and a coalition around PSD would lead to political instability," Mr Tariceanu said.

Mr Basescu made clear he will appoint Mr Tariceanu and called on two small PSD allies who, along with 18 independent deputies, hold the balance of power to switch sides.

Under the constitution, the president can call snap elections if two consecutive candidates for prime minister fail to win a vote of confidence.

The Humanist Party (PUR) and the ethnic Hungarian UDMR party initially showed a preference to stay put but began to waver in the face of Mr Basescu's refusal to consider a PSD-led government.

Analysts say a new election is sure to damage their standing, with more voters now likely to opt for the alliance.