October 13 (SeeNews) - The decision-making body of Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Friday nominated new ministers of development, transport and EU funds, to replace three cabinet members who are being investigated for corruption, PSD leader Liviu Dragnea said.
Olt county subsidiary chief Paul Stanescu is nominated for development minister, Constanta county subsidiary chief Felix Stroe is to head the transport ministry, and Marius Nica, who served as EU funds minister in 2015 is to take this seat again, PSD leader Liviu Dragnea announced on Friday.
The nominations need to be approved by president Klaus Iohannis.
The three ministers, who are being probed by Romania's anti-graft body DNA - deputy PM and minister of development Sevil Shhaideh, EU funds minister Rovana Plumb and transport minister Razvan Cuc - resigned on Thursday after prime minister Mihai Tudose said he is ready to step down if the party does not remove them from the government.
"There are three ministers with legal issues that are creating problems both at public perception level and at the European Commission level," Tudose said in a statement broadcast on local TV station Digi 24 earlier this week.
On Thursday night, PSD's executive committee rejected the resignation of the three officials, but today came back on the decision.
"They decided to resign in order to help solve a situation that seemed almost impossible to solve," Dragnea said on Friday in a party conference broadcast on local TV station Digi 24.
This is the second reshuffle in Tudose's four-months old cabinet. In September, president Iohannis appointed new ministers of defence and economy.
Tudose and his new government were voted into office at end-June, after the government led by Sorin Grindeanu lost a no-confidence vote requested by PSD. The party then withdrew its support for the six-month old coalition cabinet citing poor performance.