BUCHAREST, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Romanians for the first time this Sunday are to elect the country's 35 members of the European Parliament (EP).

    Thirteen parties and an independent candidate, Reformed Church bishop Laszlo Tokes, have entered the EP race, with their election campaigns ending Friday.

    Up to 18,265,216 Romanian citizens are eligible to vote, but many remain skeptical about the actual turnout. Most of the estimates hold a voter turnover at 25 percent or even less.

    The EP elections are organized at national level in a single constituency, requiring a threshold of 5 percent of the vote.

    The Social Research Bureau has published an opinion poll showing that the Democratic Party led by President Traian Basescu has an approval rate of 35 percent. The main opposition Social Democratic Party follows with 23 percent, the ruling National Liberal Party has 14 percent and the New Generation Party is on 5.6 percent.