| Reformist opposition candidate Traian Basescu won Romania's presidential runoff election, according to nearly complete returns Monday — a blow to the successors of the once-powerful communists who ruled for most of the period since the 1989 revolution. His opponent, Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, conceded defeat after results showed Basescu had won 51.23 percent of Sunday's vote, compared with Nastase's 48.77 percent. The results were based on 98.76 percent of the ballots counted. In a victory speech, Basescu pledged to fight corruption, restore press freedoms and prepare Romania to join the European Union by 2007. He said he would strengthen ties with the United States and Britain to guarantee Romania's security, while also seeking good relations with Russia and other former Soviet states. |