Sorin Oprescu to become Bucharest mayor - exit-polls

Sorin Oprescu to become Bucharest mayor – exit-polls

Independent candidate Sorin Oprescu, backed by the opposition Social Democrats, is the new mayor of Romania capital Bucharest, according to exit-polls announced by news channels Realitatea TV and Antena 3 separately following the Sunday local elections. The CCSB exit-poll, announced by Antena 3 as voting ended at 9 p.m., showed Oprescu win with 54.5% of votes, while Liberal Democratic (PD-L) lost with 45.5%.

Sorin Oprescu resigned from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) before the campaign for local elections started this spring, so that he could run for Bucharest mayor following a PSD decision to support another candidate. But his candidacy was supported from the very beginning by some PSD leaders and in the run-up for the second round of elections the party put its weight fully behind him.

Vasile Blaga admitted defeat shortly after exit-polls were announced at 9 p.m. Romanian time on Sunday. Oprescu will thus take over the seat held so far by Adriean Vanghelie of PD-L, who became mayor after former mayor Traian Basescu was elected President of Romania in 2004.

The CSSB/Antena 3 exit-poll results for Bucharest district mayors, also elected in the second round of local elections on Sunday:

District 1 – Andrei Chiliman (National Liberal Party – PNL) – 53.7%. Defeated Razvan Murgeanu (PD-L)
District 4 – Cristian Popescu „Piedone” (Conservative Party – PC): 62.5%. Defeated Radu Silaghi (PD-L)
District 5 – Marian Vanghelie (Social Democratic Party – PSD): 55%. Defeated Sebastian Bodu (PD-L)
District 6 – Cristian Poteras (PD-L): 56.1%. Defeated Dan Darabont (PSD)

The INSOMAR/Realitatea TV exit-poll results for Bucharest district mayors and for mayor of Iasi, Eastern Romania: