(BUCHAREST) - Romania's rightwing Liberal Democrats took a surprise lead over a rival leftwing party in the official count Monday after an election marked by the rejection of the prime minister who led the country into the European Union.

Despite growing fallout from the global economic crisis, only 39 percent of voters took part in the eastern European country's first election since it joined the EU in 2007, the lowest turnout since the fall of communism in 1989.

With 71 percent of votes counted in the general election for the parliament and senate, the Liberal Democrats (PDL) led the Social Democrats (PSD) by 34 percent to 33 percent.

The official results came as a surprise, after exit polls late Sunday had given the Social Democrats a five-point lead over their rival opposition party.

The final results are only expected later this week and the Social Democrats insisted that victory could still be theirs.

"The first results are from the large cities where the trend is more favourable to the PDL. Let's wait and see what the results are for smaller and medium-sized towns," said Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana.

Liberal Democrat leader Emil Boc, whose party is close to President Traian Basescu, was also cautious. He insisted, however, that his own party's estimates, based on 90 percent of votes, "confirm the slight lead" of the PDL.

"If victory is confirmed, we'll be able to go with our heads high to the president who is to name the future prime minister," said PDL's number two and candidate for the top job, Theodor Stolojan, who was prime minister between 1991 and 1992.

A clear victory by the PDL would indeed make Basescu's job easier after the head of state ruled out naming Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu or Geoana as premier, because they led a campaign to have him removed from office last year.

Nevertheless, whatever the final score, no single party is likely to have enough for the "solid majority" called for by Basescu. That means the winner would have to negotiate with another party to form a coalition and Tariceanu's ruling Liberal Party (PNL) will likely play a decisive role in discussions.

The PNL currently ranks third in the vote count, scoring 18 percent.

Boc said late Sunday that voters had "rejected leftist policies as a solution to the crisis that awaits us," he said.

The liberal's junior partner in the current coalition, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), will be the fourth party represented in parliament, securing just over six percent.

The far-right Greater Romania Party (PRM), the country's second political force in 2000, failed to secure the five percent needed to get into parliament. It will the first time since 1996 that PRM has not held a parliamentary seat.

For the first time, senators and deputies were elected in a single round of voting, using a combination of party and candidate lists. The presidential election was detached from the vote after the president's mandate was extended to five years instead of four in 2004.

Sunday's election highlighted the massive public disenchantment with politics. Turnout was 39.26 percent, the lowest since the fall of communism in 1989.

Some 18 million Romanians were called to the polls, with all 315 parliamentary seats and 137 senate seats up for grabs.

The poor showing even prompted the prime minister, three hours before polling stations closed, to hold a press conference urging Romanians to cast ballots.

The global economic crisis, which has left Romania battling off recession, and looming labour disputes will quickly confront the next government.

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