Bucharest, Nov 7 (IANS) The presidential runoff election began in Romania Friday after the Constitutional Court certified the results of the first round of the election earlier in the day.

The runoff would be contested by Prime Minister Victor Ponta and politician Klaus Iohannis, Xinhua reported.

The second round of voting will be held Nov 16, the court said.

In the first round of presidential election held Nov 2, Ponta got 40.44 percent of the votes, while Iohannis got 30.37 percent.

Romania’s president is elected every five years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Incumbent President Traian Basescu was first elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009.