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11. 06. 12. - 17:00

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11. 06. 12. - 17:00

Crushing defeat for Dem Libs, USL wins in 35 counties of 41

Michael Leidig

The Social Liberal Union (USL) made of the Liberals, Social Democrats and Conservatives won more than 50 percent (50.22) of the County Councils nationwide in Sunday’s municipal elections.

The Union won 593 municipalities, while former ruling party PDL only 182, according to the preliminary results released today at noon by the central electoral body.

USL’s victory comes only three months after it took over the government and won the Majority in Parliament, after toppling in a no-confidence vote the right wing coalition led by the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) of president Traian Basescu.

USL’s victory, regarded as a major test ahead of the autumn’s legislative ballot, comes on the backdrop of huge public protests against the widespread corruption in administration and dramatic austerity measures, that sent over 9 million Romanians in the arms of dire poverty since 2010, when salaries had been slashed by 25 percent, pensioned taxed with 5 percent and most of social benefits cut or canceled.

USL won in Bucharest in a landslide, taking five districts out of six, while all PDL's candidates lost.

The General Mayor Sorin Oprescu backed by the Union, was re-elected with 64 percent of the votes, whilst his main opponent Silviu Prigoana obtained 15 percent, according to the preliminary results.

"The municipal elections are a historic moment, considering that, together, the Social Liberal Union took PDL out of Bucharest", PM Victor Ponta, the USL co-president told a press conference following the release of the exit polls.

Reacting to the crushing defeat of PDL, whose founder and mentor he is, president Traian Basescu did not refrain to keep his cool and distance from the political scene, as his job requires, saying today ahead of Prince Charles visit: "God forbid us of worst!".

Sunday’s ballot was marked by several violent incidents, with the ballot being suspended at several polling stations. The main parties accused each other oh hampering the ballot as well. Three elder people died whilst casting their vote.

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