Turnout low in Romanian impeachment vote

BUCHAREST, July 29 (Reuters) - Turnout in a referendum to impeach Romania's president was 37.7 percent with three hours of voting remaining, the electoral bureau said on Sunday, making it likely the vote will not reach a 50 percent level needed to be valid.

President Traian Basescu is unpopular for his links to austerity and perceptions of cronyism, but would survive in office if half of voters do not cast ballots by the time polls close at 11 p.m. (2000 GMT).

"We estimate that 37.7 percent of Romanians registered on voting lists have voted by 8 pm, with a margin error of 3 percentage points," said Gabriela Bogasiu, president of the electoral bureau.