Polls: Romanian PM still favorite to win presidential elections. Who else is in the race?

Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta would get 46% of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections and would win the second round with 58% of the votes, according to a recent survey, quoted by Agerpres. Klaus Iohannis, the mayor of Sibiu and the president of the liberal party (PNL) would get 24% of the votes in the first round and 42% in the second round. Of the other known candidates, former liberal Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, currently leader of a reforming liberal party (PLR), would get about 9% of the votes in the first round and former media mogul Dan Diaconescu would get 5%. Former foreign affairs minister Cristian Diaconescu, would also get 5%. Diaconescu, who was initially announced as official candidate of the popular movement party (PMP), which aims to attract the supporters of current President Traian Basescu, on Monday announced that he will run as an independent, after PMP leaders decided to withdraw support for him. Instead, PMP will support Elena Udrea, also a former minister and a close collaborator of Basescu. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Victor Ponta on Facebook at the anch of his presidential candidacy in July 2014)