Titus Corlatean steps down as Minister of Foreign Affairs

Titus Corlatean has announced his resignation as Minister of Foreign Affairs during a press conference, stating that he has already informed the Romanian Prime Minister about his decision to leave his office, decision aimed at protecting the image and the prestige of the Ministry, reads Mediafax.

“As minister, along with the MFA team, I have to ensure law compliance, but also the preservation of the image and prestige of the Institution. Accordingly, I have informed the Prime Minister and I inform you that I have decided to resign as Minister of Foreign Affairs”,said Corlatean as per the newswire.

The announcement follows the scandal arisen after the first round of 2014 presidential election, when thousands of Romanians living abroad had not been able to vote due to poor organization of polling places. Subsequent to those events, President Traian Basescu, as well as other right-wing representatives asked for Corlatean’s resignation, accusing him of deliberately not ensuring conditions for the Romanian diaspora to vote, whilst protests supporting their cause were held in several cities in Romania the last week.

Titus Corlatean has explained that the polling places outside Romania were established in accordance with the indication of the Central Electoral Office (BEC), complying with the Romanian legislation and he has restated that he leaves his office in order to avoid any allegations or eventual grounds to contest the vote in the run-off which will take place this Sunday, on November 16.

He has added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains its position as regards the possibility of setting up new polling places in the second round Romanian presidential election, claiming that there is no legal basis for such measures.