Prime Minister Quits ‘to End This Crisis’

Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea resigned, saying he aimed to end a political crisis that had rocked his coalition government for three months and threatened overdue market reforms. “I chose the unilateral solution to end this crisis,” Ciorbea said in a live televised speech. President Emil Constantinescu appointed Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu to take over in a caretaker capacity. Constantinescu said he will designate a new prime minister Thursday after talks with political leaders, including opposition leftists. Ciorbea, 43, took over 15 months ago vowing to reverse seven years of slow change under previous leftist governments. He said he had resigned to save the long-delayed 1998 budget, which is vital for pursuing market reforms.