Romania's ruling coalition poised for overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections: exit pol (3)

（Xinhua） 09:23, December 10, 2012

Liviu Dragnea (C), general secretary of Social Democrat Party, speaks during a press conference in Bucharest, capital of Romania, Dec 9, 2012. The ruling Social Liberal Union is poised to have won an overwhelming victory in Romania's quadrennial parliamentary elections, as some 57 percent of the over 18 million voters supposed to cast their ballots for the ruling coalition, according to the exit polls results released soon after voting. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)

The pre-election polls pit the ruling Social Liberal Union, a coalition composed of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, against the Right Romania Alliance, whose senior partner is the opposition Liberal Democratic Party backed by President Traian Basescu.

A party has to pass a 5-percent threshold to win seats in either chamber of the parliament, while in the case of political or electoral alliances, 8 percent for alliances of two parties, 9 percent for three and 10 percent for four or more parties.

The voters are polarized following a change of the majority coalition and appointment of Social Democrat Ponta as prime minister in May.

Local elections in June gave a significant victory to the new ruling coalition which won 36 of the 41 county councils.

Opinion polls before the elections also suggested an overwhelming win for the ruling coalition.

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