December 8 (SeeNews) - Romania's president Klaus Iohannis appointed defence minister Nicolae Ionel Ciuca as interim prime minister to replace Ludovic Orban who resigned on Monday, the president's administration said.
Iohannis signed the decree appointing Ciuca as interim prime minister on Monday evening, according to a notice posted on the president's administration website.
Earlier on Monday, Orban submitted his resignation in order to lead negotiations for a centre-right parliamentary majority following inconclusive general elections on December 6.
"Romania needs a responsible government that represents the will of the citizens and my decision today shows one thing very clearly - I am not clinging to any position. The negotiations that will follow must lead to a government consisting of center-right forces, which is willing to use all the resources that Romania has at its disposal," Orban said in a televised statement broadcast on Digi 24.
The president said in a televised statement on Monday evening that in a few days he will call parties for consultations regarding the appointment of the new prime minister.
"Centre-right forces have collected more than 50% of all cast ballots. A new government will be formed with them at the core," Iohannis added in the statement broadcast by Digi 24.
Romania's Social Democratic Party (PSD) won 29.69% of the votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 30.13% of the ballots for the Senate in Sunday's general elections, latest preliminary results of the central electoral commission indicated.
Rght-wing National Liberal Party, PNL, led by Orban won 25.18% of votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 25.58% of votes for Senate, making it the second biggest party in Romania's next parliament, according to data of the central electoral commission, BEC, based on 96% of the ballots cast.
Third came the centre-right alliance formed by Save Romania Union (USR) and PLUS parties, which got 14.75% of votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 15.24% for the Senate.
Right-wing nationalist political party Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) got 8.69% of the votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 8.77% for the Senate.
The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) garnered 5.98% of votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 6.13% of votes for the Senate.
Centre-right Popular Movement Party (PMP) founded by Romania's ex-president Traian Basescu and and left-wing party Pro Romania led by ex-prime minister Victor Ponta could not pass the 5% barrier for entry into parliament, according to preliminary data.
(1 euro=4.8733 lei)