Romania to elect new president

Prime Minister Victor Ponta led in the first round with 40% to 30% for Klaus Iohannis, an ethnic German mayor, BBC News reports. Mr Ponta has promised both to reduce the budget deficit and increase pensions and the minimum wage. President Traian Basescu, his long-time political foe, cannot stand for re-election after serving two terms. Since taking office as prime minister two years ago, Mr Ponta, 42, has overseen economic growth and political stability in Romania, the EU's second-poorest state after Bulgaria. It is also one of the EU's most corrupt member states and Mr Iohannis, 55, has promised to crack down on wrongdoing and strengthen the independence of the judicial system. However, critics accuse the mayor of Sibiu, a town of around 155,000 people in Transylvania, of seeking to avoid confrontation with the outspoken Mr Ponta, who has maintained his lead in opinion polls. As prime minister, Mr Ponta often feuded with President Basescu and their poor relations delayed much-needed reforms in the public sector. The International Monetary Fund, which has signed three consecutive precautionary aid deals with Romania since 2009, urged the country not to jeopardise years of progress in getting its spending under control.