BUCHAREST (Romania), December 3 (SeeNews) – Romania's interim Interior Minister Vasile Blaga has delegated his duties after a Bucharest court ruled the presidential decree appointing him to the post was illegal, the Interior Ministry said.
"[...] Blaga disagrees with the cheap election show staged by the Social Democratic Party to manipulate public opinion. As he promised, Vasile Blaga respected the court's ruling, as he has always done," the ministry said in a statement.
State secretary Mihai Capra will be in charge of organising Romania's second round of presidential elections due on Sunday, the ministry said. Several other state secretaries will assume Blaga's other duties as interior minister.
On October 1, President Traian Basescu endorsed Regional Development and Housing Minister Vasile Blaga as interim Interior Minster and interim Deputy Prime Minister to replace Dan Nica, a member of the left-wing Social Democratic Party, PSD. Following the replacement, PSD left the nine-month old coalition with centre-right Democratic-Liberal Party, PD-L.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled on Friday to suspend the presidential decree by the force of which Blaga, a member of PD-L, replaced Nica.
The minority government of Prime Minister Emil Boc fell in a no-confidence vote in October but carried on as an interim cabinet. Basescu failed to push through parliament his nominations for a new prime minister.
Sunday’s run-off vote, in which Basescu will face PSD leader Mircea Geoana, will be crucial for Romania. The winner will name the country's next prime minister who will have to restart key reforms of the economy and the justice system.