Romania's coalition government collapsed today after nine ministers from the Social Democrats quit to protest the firing of the interior minister for comments about possible election fraud, AP reported. Social Democratic Party leader Mircea Geoana said the ministers resigned «in solidarity» with Dan Nica, a party member fired by Prime Minister Emil Boc on Monday over a statement he made about potential fraud in the upcoming Nov. 22 election. The comments were widely interpreted as an accusation that Boc's Liberal Democrats might try to cheat to get President Traian Basescu re-elected. The coalition collapse goes far beyond the ministers. Thousands of Social Democrats will now lose their jobs in national and local posts throughout Romania. Geoana blamed Basescu for instigating the political crisis, saying it created further uncertainty in Romania ahead of the election. «Throwing Romania in this political crisis will have grave effects,» said Nica, who was also deputy prime minister, as he stood with the ministers who resigned. «Each minister tried to do their duty.» He vowed the party would return to the government after the presidential election. Basescu said that Boc would find ministers within the government to cover the vacant positions. Boc has 45 days to present a new government and find a parliamentary majority to approve it, Basescu said. He denied there was evidence of possible fraud in the upcoming presidential elections
