Romanian provincial mayor beats PM in presidential pollsNovember 17, 2014 - 08:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Provincial mayor Klaus Iohannis defied expectations to win Romania's presidential election on Sunday, Nov 16, inflicting a shock defeat on Prime Minister Victor Ponta that was cheered by thousands of anti-government protesters on the streets, Reuters reported. An ethnic German whose campaign was backed by two center-right parties, Iohannis turned round a 10-point deficit to win the runoff, as widespread anger at voting problems overseas appeared to galvanize the anti-Ponta camp. Analysts had said that victory for Ponta might have helped make Romania a more stable nation, with the main levers of power held by one bloc. By contrast, Iohannis's win could trigger renewed political tensions in one of Europe's poorest states. Backed by a well-oiled party machine, Ponta had led opinion polls throughout the campaign and comfortably beat Iohannis in the first round election on Nov 2. But Ponta abruptly conceded defeat after the exit polls were released. Later the first official results showed Iohannis on 55.8 percent against 44.2 percent for Ponta, with a third of polling stations counted. Turnout was at its highest since 1996. Despite the loss, Ponta ruled out quitting as prime minister and said his Social Democrat alliance would remain in power until parliamentary elections due in 2016. Thousands of people took to the streets of Bucharest and other cities to voice their anger at Ponta's government on Sunday night and demand his resignation. Photo: Express.co.uk Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |