Romanian Social Democrats To Delay Conf Vote For New Govt Until After Elections -Sources

The sources said social democrats want a new government sworn in after the country elects its president.

Romania holds presidential elections on November 22 and a runoff on December 6 if none of the candidates secures a majority of votes in the first round.

The law provides that Parliament should hold a confidence vote within 15 days after the prime minister-designate presents the list of ministers and governing program for which he seeks the vote. Romania’s Prime Minster-designate Liviu Negoita said he will have a list of proposed ministers sent to Parliament Monday afternoon, adding the Cabinet is backed by democrat liberals and independent lawmakers. That means the Parliament should hold the confidence vote on November 24 at the latest.

Negoita, designated for prime minister Friday, said he wants to form a national coalition government, but has failed to secure the opposition’s support. His Cabinet needs at least 236 votes in Parliament to be sworn in, but the opposing majority has over 65% of the seats.

Romania is currently run by the minority democrat liberal government ousted in a no-confidence vote mid-October and the country’s chances to have a full-power government before presidential elections on November 22 are slim.

Negoita’s proposed Cabinet is sure to be voted down, especially since he has said propose ministers will include people proposed by the previous prime minister-designate, whose Government lost a confidence vote just last week.