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President to name interim PM after gov’t collapsed over fire

Protesters shout slogans calling for early elections and hold banners that read: "Down the Political Mafia" after a rally joined by thousands blocked traffic in University Square in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the resignation of his government Wednesday following huge protests the day before in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed more than 30 people. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Protesters shout slogans calling for early elections and hold banners that read: "Down the Political Mafia" after a rally joined by thousands blocked traffic in University Square in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced the resignation of his government Wednesday following huge protests the day before in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed more than 30 people. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

By Associated Press November 5, 2015 1 min read

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – The latest on the fallout from a fire at a Bucharest nightclub on Friday that left more than 30 dead. All times local.

11:30 a.m.

Romania’s president will name an interim prime minister after Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned following mass protests over a nightclub fire that left more than 30 people dead.

President Klaus Iohannis will name the caretaker premier later Thursday. He will hold talks with political parties later in the day and will nominate a new prime minister later this week, tasked with forming a new government, which needs parliamentary approval.

If this fails twice, early elections will be called. Scheduled parliamentary elections are not due until December 2016.

Thousands demonstrated this week demanding early elections and better governance.

Ponta has proposed Defense Minister Mircea Dusa as interim prime minister.