Romanian government fails no-confidence vote

Romanian government fails no-confidence voteBucharest - In a first since the fall of communism, Romania's government Tuesday failed a no-confidence vote, two weeks after the breakup of the cabinet.

The no-confidence motion passed with 258 in favour to 176 against, the development coming some 40 days before the country's presidential elections.

Now President Traian Basescu faces consultations with the major political parties before naming someone to try to form a new government.

The no-confidence vote had been filed last week by the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) against the minority government of Prime Minister Emil Boc of the centrist PD-L party.

Boc's government of PD-L and Social Democrats (PSD), which had taken power at the beginning of the year, disintegrated in September when the PSD pulled out of the the cabinet, accusing the Boc government with "economically and morally destroying" the country.

The PSD also accused Boc's side with trying to influence the upcoming presidential elections in favour of the re-election of Basescu, who is closely linked to the PD-L.

Now, with Basescu faced with naming a premier to try to form a new government, one name to emerge is that of Klaus Johannis, the independent ethnic-German mayor of the city of Sibiu. His name was put forward by the PNL.

Other reports in Bucharest say that the PNL and PSD might try to form a coalition.(dpa)