Romanian interior minister resigns amid pressure

Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga resigned Monday after the president and prime minister decided to give up police escort, as police officers took part in an unauthorized protest last Friday outside the Presidential Palace for a halt to planned layoffs and their full wages back.

"This morning, I presented the resignation of honor to Prime Minister Emil Boc," he announced at a press conference.

Blaga took the decision, as he did not want to dismiss the chiefs of police and of gendarmerie for the unauthorized protest of police officers last Friday, according to sources. According to Blaga, responsibility falls to organizers of the unauthorized protest, not all the employees of the ministry.

"It is a personal and unilateral act of Mr. Blaga. Minister Blaga has accepted responsibility for other's mistakes," stressed Prime Minister Emil Boc soon after the interior minister announced his resignation.x Around 6,000 police officers and prison guards, together with other public workers protested outside the Presidential Palace on Friday. They had started their authorized demonstration at the Government's headquarters in the absence of prime minister, who was in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. So the protesters left in an unauthorized march for the presidential palace, where they threw bottles, candles and police hats and demanded the president come out and solve their claims.

President Traian Basescu said the police officers who participated in protests Friday undermined the state's authority and its institutions, and requested that Interior Ministry personnel be relieved of providing his security.

The prime minister followed his suit soon after returning from New York.

Unionists began earlier last week to protest austerity measures that slashed public sector wages by 25 percent in July. The cuts came amidst plans to fire thousands of public sector workers by the end of the year.

According to union leaders, protesters will return for a new round of protests on Oct. 7, when an ample rally is organized to mark Decent Labor Day.

Source: Xinhua