Romanian President Klaus Iohannis resigns ahead of election re-run

ROMANIA: Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has resigned following pressure for him to step down ahead of a re-run of a presidential election that was controversially cancelled last year.

The December vote was voided by Romania’s top court after allegations of Russian state meddling.

The outgoing Iohannis, a pro-EU liberal, had said he would stay on in office until a successor was elected in May.

But that had been strongly criticised by far-right politicians and their supporters, who had performed well in the first round of the vote in December.

Their criticism had inspired tens of thousands of Romanians to take to the streets last month in protest against the election’s cancellation.

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Opposition lawmakers had launched a motion in parliament again on Monday to move for the president’s suspension.

In response, Iohannis said he would step down, in a bid to limit what he said would have been be a “damaging” and divisive referendum for the country.

“In order to spare Romania and the Romanian citizens from crisis… I resign from the office of president of Romania,” he said. He said he would officially stand down on Wednesday.