BUCHAREST - Romanian President Traian Basescu named Liviu Negoita, a lawyer member of the Liberal Democrat party (PDL) as prime minister on Friday, in a new bid to resolve a month-long political crisis.
He also announced that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has sent an evaluation mission to Bucharest, will postpone payment of a third emergency aid instalment until after a new governement is formed.
On Wednesday the opposition-dominated parliament refused to back a proposed cabinet led by economist Lucian Croitoru, named earlier as prime minister, who promptly stood down.
The country has been in political turmoil since October 1, when the Social Democrats left a coalition they had formed with the Liberal Democrats.
The minority PDL government of Emil Boc collapsed just two weeks later on a no-confidence vote.
Analaysts expect the government crisis to persist until after the presidential election to be held in two rounds on November 22 and December 6.
