国际英语新闻：Romanian PM re-elected head of ruling party

BUCHAREST, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The National Convention of the Democratic Liberal Party, Romania's ruling party, re-elected on Saturday Prime Minister Emil Boc as its president.

The election was conducted by secret ballot, as decided by the Organizing Commission of the National Convention.

As the incumbent party leader, Boc gained an absolute victory, winning 868 votes from the 1,409 delegates to the convention.

The race to lead the main ruling party was between Boc, the party's secretary-general Vasile Blaga, and Theodor Paleologu, a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.

Blaga was supported by 499 delegates, while Paleologu got only 24 votes.

The two-day convention opened with a speech by Romanian President Traian Basescu, the party's former leader.

Basescu, a strong supporter of Boc, told the Democrat Liberals that the party has achieved the most good things for Romania, and the country needs what the party has started. "But, more than anything, it needs you to finish what you have started," he said.

Heads of the commissions of Integrity, Statute, Ethics and Litigation were also elected on Saturday.

On Sunday, the party's four first vice presidents are to be elected, along with a new secretary-general, new vice presidents, deputy general secretaries, six executive secretaries and the treasurer.

The convention is seen as an important step in the party's preparations for local and general elections in 2012.