The partial results for the referendum confirm its invalidation, with only a 46 percent turnout, but the majority of votes cast were in favor of the impeachment of the president – 87.55 percent, according to the Central Electoral Bureau.

So far, votes have been counted in 18,089 out of the 18,584 polling stations- translating as 97.5 percent of the total.

In total, 8.2 million people took part in the referendum and 7.2 million of them voted for presidential impeachment, according to partial data.

Late last night, president Traian Basescu held his victory speech, saying he will try to reinstate calmness in the country once returned to the helm of the country. His team from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) shouted Victory!' and 'We won!' late last night, after their internal parallel counting pointed to the invalidation of the referendum. They said the vote was not against Traian Basescu, but against the MPs who suspended the president. The president and the PDL members did not attend the vote, asking their supporters to boycott the referendum.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Flacara Democratiei Facebook page)