BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian voters appeared to return the center-left Social Democratic Party to power in parliamentary elections on Sunday, a year after large protests in Bucharest over a deadly nightclub fire led to the resignation of the party’s previous government. With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, the Social Democratic Party led with just over 46 percent. Its main rival, the National Liberal Party, trailed by more than 25 percentage points. If that lead bears out, the Social Democratic Party will be in a position to lead the country in a coalition with the smaller Alliance of Liberals and Democrats party, which appeared to have just over 5 percent of the vote. “Today, citizens voted for economic growth, for jobs, for more money into the pockets of Romanians,” Liviu Dragnea, the Social Democratic Party leader, said in a statement after exit polls pointed to a victory for the party.
Being forced into opposition a year earlier, by the resignation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta amid the Colectiv nightclub fire tragedy, the Social Democratic Party returns to government following a landslide victory in last Sunday's parliamentary elections.