Iliescu ahead in Romanian election

Bucharest - The former President and ex-Communist, Mr Ion Iliescu, was elected President of Romania with 70 per cent of the vote…

Bucharest - The former President and ex-Communist, Mr Ion Iliescu, was elected President of Romania with 70 per cent of the vote in a second round run-off Sunday, defeating the hardline nationalist, Mr Corneliu Vadim Tudor, according to exit polls.

Mr Iliescu (70) was Romania's first elected president from 1990-1996 after Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown in 1989. According to the exit polls, Mr Iliescu received between 70.2 and 70.5 per cent of the vote against 29.5 to 29.8 per cent for Mr Tudor.