Romania's Chamber Speaker resigned today (Mar 16, 2006)

Mar 16, 2006 (Romania Report)

This morning, former PM and SocDem leader, Adrian Nastase officially announced his resignation from the Chamber’s Speaker office in plenum parliamentary session.

Earlier, on Tuesday, in a desperate bid to regain popular support, the Social-Democrat Party leadership forced Adrian Nastase to resign both from the Chamber’s Speaker office and from his position of SocDem executive president. With 36 votes against him, 16 in his favour and one abstention, Nastase – who recently seriously damaged the SocDems’ public image as he is under investigation for corruption –, was virtually ousted by his party companions.

Romania's former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase yesterday said he would give up his official positions of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the country's leading opposition Social Democratic Party, or PSD, as he lacked the support of his party's leaders across the country.

Anti-corruption prosecutors charged Nastase in January with corruption over allegedly shady real estate deals, along with five other people. Nastase is the highest-ranking Romanian official investigated by anti-corruption prosecutor, a move in line with European Union demands that Romania fight corruption prior to its accession in 2007 or 2008.


Adrian Nastase’s political record:

1990 member of the National Salvation Front (FSN);
28 June 1990 - 16 October 1992 – Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs;
1993 – 1997 – Executive-President of the Romanian Social Democracy Party (PDSR);
1997 Prime Vice-President of the PDSR;
Dec 2000 – Jan 2001 – Acting President of the PDSR;
Dec 28, 2000 – Dec 2004 - Prime Minister of Romania;
Jan 19, 2001 – President of the PDSR;
June 2001 - 2005 – President of the Social Democrat Party (PSD)
2005 – Mar 15, 2006 – PSD Executive-President
Dec 2004 – Mar 16, 2006 – Lower Chamber Speaker


Romania Report