Romanian Mayor Named Replacement Candidate

3 October 2004 -- Bucharest Mayor Traian Basescu will face Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in Romania's presidential race after being invited today by an opposition alliance to replace its main candidate, who withdrew from the race.

Presidential candidate Theodor Stolojan cited health problems as his reason for dropping out of the campaign. He had been a candidate on the Truth and Justice Alliance ticket for the 28 November election.

Basescu said earlier he would run for the country's top job if asked to do so by his partners in the coalition. Nastase is on the Social Democrat Party ticket.

(Reuters)