Prime Minister Victor Ponta announces his resignation

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigns, a day after mass protests over deadly nightclub fire

Vlad Palcu, 04.11.2015, 11:19

RESIGNATION – Romania’s
Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Victor Ponta has announced he is stepping down
together with his cabinet. The decision comes after last night’s demonstration
in the memory of the victims of a nightclub fire turned into a protest. Over 25
thousand people took to the streets of Bucharest last night denouncing the
corruption of central and local administrations at the same time calling for
the resignation of Prime Minister Ponta, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea
and the mayor of Bucharest’s district four where 32 club-goers were killed in a
deadly fire on Friday night. The mayor of district four, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, has also stepped down. The Prime Minister has said he cannot ignore the
legitimate anger society is feeling at the moment adding that he hopes the
government’s resignation will meet people’s expectations. He made an appeal to
reason saying that street unrest could affect the country’s economic stability.
Ponta has also said that those politically speculating people’s suffering will
pay dearly. We recall that 32 people lost their lives and 130 have been admitted
to hospitals, mostly in a critical condition – following the deadly fire during
a rock concert in Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest. Doctors say the death toll
could go higher because of the atypical injuries.