国际英语新闻:Romania's President-elect Johannis vows to follow "letter and the spirit" of constitution

BUCHAREST, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- President-elect Klaus Johannis promised Friday that he will be the president who respects the fundamental law in letter and its spirit.

"I want to tell you firmly, today, here, that I will be the president who will follow the letter and the spirit of the Constitution," Iohannis said at a ceremony at the Constitutional Court of Romania, where he received the top Court decision confirming his election as head of state.

He pointed out that the president should inspire, through his vision, the Romanian nation and through his public behavior become a model for the society.

According to him, he has agreed with incumbent President Traian Basescu a transitional period, which begins on Monday, and ends on December 21, the date of termination of office of the incumbent president.

Basescu said at the ceremony that after 10 years of his term, he passes on a country "with political right or centre-right options."

"I wouldn't have liked that the Left dominated all the state bodies at the end of my mandate," he stressed.

The top Court on Friday unanimously confirmed the results of the recent presidential elections and validated the election of Klaus Iohannis as Romania's President for next five years, announced Court President Augustin Zegrean.

The Central Election Bureau on Thursday released the final results of the presidential runoff, which was held two weeks after the first round of the elections when a total of 14 candidates competed, and sent the results to the Constitutional Court for confirmation.

According to the results, Iohannis won 54.43 percent of the votes, while his rival, Social Democratic leader and incumbent Prime Minister Victor Ponta, scored 45.56 percent.

Iohannis, 55, ran for presidency under the banner of the center-right Christian Liberal Alliance, comprising the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Liberal Party. While Ponta, 42, is backed by the center-left Alliance of Social Democrats, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservatives.

The Romanian president is elected once every five years under the constitution, with a maximum of two consecutive terms allowed. Incumbent President Traian Basescu was first elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009.