Basescu to be president of Romania

ROMANIAN Prime Minister Adrian Nastase yesterday said he had conceded defeat in Romania’s presidential run-off in a telephone call to opponent Traian Basescu, whom he called “the future president of Romania.”

Mr Basescu’s victory dealt a major blow to the successors of Romania’s communists, who have governed for most of the period since the 1989 revolution.

“It is the decision of the Romanian people and I respect it,” Mr Nastase said.