BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Thursday asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election.

The Constitutional Court in Bucharest voted unanimously in favor of the recount, and said the decision is final. The Central Election Bureau is scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the request.

Calin Georgescu, a little-known, far-right populist, won the first round of the election, beating the incumbent prime minister.

Georgescu, who ran independently, was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi in a Dec. 8. runoff. Preelection surveys predicted he would win less than 10% of the vote.

A top Romanian court on Thursday asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election.{ai:summary}<p>A Romanian court has ordered a recount of all ballots from the first round of the presidential election, a decision made unanimously by the Constitutional Court. The Central Election Bureau will discuss the request later today.</p><p>Far-right populist Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round, defeating the incumbent prime minister and set to face reformist Elena Lasconi in a runoff on December 8. #politics</p>

Romanian court orders a recount of presidential election first round

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