Romanian Social-Democrats get upper hand in local elections
Election results show Romania’s main leftist party made gains in local elections that were overshadowed by concerns about graft.
Preliminary results published by election authorities early Monday show that that Gabriela Firea, a former TV journalist and member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, won the post of Bucharest mayor, receiving about 43 percent of the vote.
The party also won all six seats for district mayor in the capital.
The party resigned from government in November after street protests following a deadly nightclub fire that raised corruption concerns.
The mayors of Brasov and Craiova, who have been indicted for taking kickbacks, both won re-election. The mayor of Baia Mare, jailed for corruption charges, was also easily re-elected, AP reports.