Romania's incumbent president Traian Basescu extended his lead over Social Democrat challenger Mircea Geoana in the presidential run-off after a recount of voided ballots, Romanian media reported on December 14.

Among more than 130 000 annulled ballots, election authorities found 1270 valid ballots for Basescu and 987 for Geoana, extending Basescu's lead of about 70 000 votes, cable news channel Realitatea TV said.

The Social Democrats are yet to concede defeat, with a party spokesperson saying that it wanted a forensics analysis of all voided ballots where both names have been checked. Such an analysis, the party said, would show instances when ballots cast for Geoana were invalidated later by placing a second voting stamp next to Basescu's name.

The recount was ordered on December 11 by the country's constitutional court, which is yet to rule on the other points in the Social Democrat appeal to have the election results annulled and a new run-off to be held.

The party has asked for a name-by-name verification of all voting protocols in the electoral stations set up for voters who could not cast their ballots at their address of residence, as well as voting stations outside Romania, claiming that such stations were used to cast multiple ballots. This would require cross-referencing about 780 000 names, according to one Social Democrat MP.

Furthermore, the party claims that a number of voting protocols have been altered, switching the numbers of votes received by the twocandidates.

Local observers have said that the constitutional court was unlikely to void the run-off's results.