“To spare Romania and its citizens from this crisis, I am resigning from the office of President of Romania. I will leave office the day after tomorrow, February 12,” the president said in a statement on Monday, February 10, Romania Insider reports.
The president’s announcement came as a third request to suspend him from office is to be discussed and voted on by the Parliament on Tuesday, February 11.
After requests from the opposition parties were rejected twice for procedural reasons, this time the ultranationalist parties (Parties of Young People( POT, (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) AUR, and SOS, joined by MPs of the Save Romania Union (USR) managed to gather the signatures needed for the process to begin.
Iohannis's mandate was extended after last year's presidential elections were annulled through a decision of the Constitutional Court (CCR). While Iohannis maintained the extension was constitutional and said he would leave office once a new president is sworn in, the opposition has constantly questioned his legitimacy.
According to the Constitution, the head of the Senate, currently Ilie Bolojan, serves as interim president. He will hold this position until the election of the new president, in May.
MNA/
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