Romania's New Govt Victorious in Local Polls

Romanians have decisively backed Prime Minister Victor Ponta's new left-wing government in local elections on Sunday, exit polls show.

Ponta's Social Liberal Union (USL) alliance has gathered up to 65% of all votes in some regions and over 50% in some big cities.

The vote was considered the first major challenge for the new government that took over amid discontent over austerity measures.

Sorin Oprescu, the incumbent Mayor of Bucharest backed by the country's governing alliance, won a second term, as voters gave him 65.8%.

The Romanian citizens were to elect 3,187 mayors out of 14,139 candidates nationwide, 41 chairmen of country councils out of 368 candidates, 1,338 county councillors out of 15,635 candidates and 40,311 local councillors out of 255,276 candidates.

Romania's government of former Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu was brought down at the end of April. The former cabinet cut salaries and increase taxes in an attempt to stabilize the country's finances. However, the anti-crisis measures dealt a serious blow to Romania's economic recovery.

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