BUCHAREST (Romania), October 15 (SeeNews) – Romania’s President Traian Basescu on Thursday nominated Lucian Croitoru, an advisor of the central bank governor, as new prime minister two days after the country’s minority government fell in a no-confidence vote.
Basescu told reporters he considered three nominations, adding that Croitoru was his own proposal.
Croitoru, 52, is not part of any political party. The prime minister-designate has 10 days to form a new cabinet and present it to parliament for approval.
Basescu also said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has decided to postpone its second review mission to Romania under a 20 billion euro financing agreement until a new government is endorsed.
Opposition parties the Social Democratic Party, PSD, the National Liberal Party, PNL, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, UDMR had nominated the mayor of the central city of Sibiu, Klaus Johannis, 50, as a premier candidate. The Liberals, Social Democrats and Ethnic Hungarians hold two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
The ruling Democrat-Liberals have proposed a politician, Basescu said without mentioning the candidate's name.
Late on Wednesday Basescu said Romania needed a government of national unity and asked the parties to continue talks on nominating a new prime minister backed by all political parties.