Romania’s surprise choice of PM
Sevil Shhaideh is the surprise choice of the left-wing Social Democratic Party (PSD) for the job of Romanian Prime Minister. The announcement was made by PSD leader Liviu Dragnea on Wednesday. A former minister of regional development, Ms. Shhaideh is a graduate of the Academy of Economic Studies in the capital Bucharest in 1987 with a master degree at the Ovidius University in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constantza in 2007. Ms. Shhaideh was the choice for the country’s regional development minister in 2015 after Mr. Dragnea’s resignation from the job, and she was also the first Romanian minister who took oath by putting her hand on the Quran.
December 21, 1989, the day when Bucharest woke up
It was on December 21, 1989, when former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu delivered a speech in the capital Bucharest condemning the uprising in Romania’s western town of Timişoara where hundreds of people were killed or wounded by police and army forces. Such speeches were an annual event televised across the country. But this time the Romanian dictator’s expectation of usual cheers and applause was unmet. The people remained unmoved with his words; many booed, set off firecrackers, and began leaving the square even before Ceauşescu finished. It was a failed attempt to quell the protests calling for an end to his rule. It was during the night of December 21-22 1989 when a barricade was raised near the Intercontinental Hotel in the University Plaza and fighting began between protesters and government forces. However, protesters claimed their victory on December 22 amid sporadic fighting.
Oath taking ceremonies in Romania’s Parliament
Oath taking ceremonies are expected at the Parliament Palace in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Wednesday. The newly elected senators and deputies will attend separate swearing in ceremonies and then vote their new speakers and the leaderships. The MPs are also expected to establish the parliamentary groups and choose the groups’ leaders.
The Parliament of Romania is the national legislature of the country, and it consists of the Chamber of Deputies (the parliament’s lower house), and the Senate (the upper house).
Romania’s left-leaning Social Democratic Party (PSD) easily won parliamentary elections on December 11.
Alexandru Danga/RADOR
