February 6 (SeeNews) - Romania's president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday he has appointed National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Ludovic Orban as prime minister-designate tasked with forming a transitional government - a day after parliament dismissed Orban's minority cabinet, bringing closer the possibility of early election.
"Early elections are my first choice. Meanwhile, I think we can take the next step: the designation of a person in charge of forming a new government. Therefore, I appoint Ludovic Orban to form a new government," Iohannis said in a televised statement, following talks with political parties.
According to the law, Orban must draw up a list of cabinet members and a government programme within 10 days after designation and then send it to parliament for debate.
On Wednesday, the minority centre-right government led by Orban was toppled in a no-confidence vote in parliament requested by opposition left-wing Social Democrat Party (PSD).
If parliament refuses to endorse Orban or a possible second nominee for prime minister, the president can dissolve parliament and call early elections.
Following the vote in parliament, Orban said on Wednesday evening that he will deliberately seek the rejection of the first two proposals of the president in order to trigger a snap general election that PNL hopes to win, as PNL is far ahead of PSD in recent opinion polls.
"From our point of view, we will speed up the procedures as much as possible, so that in the 60-day period provided for by the Constitution we succeed in the parliament rejecting two governments," Orban said in a talk show on local TV station Digi 24.
Some 47.4% of Romanians would vote for PNL, if parliamentary elections were held now, according to the results of a poll conducted by the Institute of Marketing, Analysis and Polling (IMAS) and commissioned by local radio station Europa FM that were released on Monday.
In January, Orban said that together with Iohannis he will aim to trigger an early general election by the middle of this year. Romania's next regular parliamentary elections are to be held in March 2021.