Romania's Prime Minister designate Theodor Stolojan said, today, that he renounces the premiership in favor of a younger candidate. At 2 p.m. (Bucharest time), Romania’s President Traian Basescu said he will sign new decree to designate the Democratic-Liberal leader, Mr. Emil Boc, instead.
Stolojan, 65, said in a short statement that he would let Traian Basescu nominate somebody who will "give a hope to the young generation."
Stolojan was nominated by Basescu last week as prime minister designate following Nov. 30 elections.
Mr. Basescu later made a statement, shortly on Stolojan's decision, and said he will sign new decree to designate Mr. Emil Boc, instead. Mr. Boc is president of the Democratic-Liberal party, which won the parliamentary elections by a slim margin, on Nov 30.
The new government had been expected to face a parliament vote on Dec. 22 but it was unclear whether this would now be possible.
A former World Bank expert, Stolojan was prime minister between 1991 and 1992. He also served as finance minister. Mr. Emil Boc is the boss of Democratic-Liberals since 2005, and is in his second term as mayor of Cluj-Napoca (the second largest city of Romania).
Romania's coalition government will be formed by the left-leaning Social Democrats and the centrist Democratic Liberals who have about a 70 percent parliamentary majority.
