Romanian Protesters Call for Elections After Government Quit
- Ruling party seeks to name new PM, liberals want snap election
- President starts talks with parties over government options
Tens of thousands of Romanian protesters angry over corruption called for early elections, piling pressure on ruling parties that are scrambling to re-establish a government after Prime Minister Victor Ponta quit.
As many as 70,000 demonstrators rallied in cities across the country Wednesday night, with 35,000 in Bucharest, the largest protest since the 1989 anti-Communist Revolution. They called for a change in politics after blaming corruption for the deaths of 32 people in a nightclub fire last week. President Klaus Iohannis appointed outgoing Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu as interim premier, rejecting the candidate of the Social Democrats, the biggest party in parliament. Ponta resigned earlier Wednesday after 3 1/2 years in power, triggering the departure of his entire cabinet.