Romanian president Traian Basescu nominated Lucian Croitoru, a respected economist, to become the country's next prime minister.

In a statement on October 15, after two days of consultations with political parties, Basescu said that his nomination met the criteria set by the opposition parties, who wanted a technocrat government.

"My nomination of Lucian Croitoru was determined by the fact that we need a prime minister who is competent in matters pertaining to the economy, national and global macroeconomics. He is also not involved in politics, meeting the wishes expressed by some of the parliamentary parties," Basescu said in a statement.

Croitoru has a PhD in economics and worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2003/07. He is now an adviser to central bank governor Mugur Isarescu, a position he held before joining the IMF as well.

Croitoru was the best choice to negotiate with the IMF, Basescu said. The Fund has already delayed its mission meant to assess the progress of public administration reforms to which Romania agreed as a condition to receive a $25 billion bail-out from the IMF and other international institutions.

But the two major opposition parties, the Social Democrats and the National-Liberals, who toppled the Democrat-Liberal government of Emil Boc, which had been supported by Basescu, with a motion of no confidence on October 13, criticised the president for not designating their nominee, Sibiu mayor Klaus Johannis.

"Despite invoking the need for a legitimate government, Basescu put forth a candidate that has no support in parliament. It's political blackmail that targets keeping the Boc government in power until the presidential elections in order to influence their outcome," Social Democrat lider Mircea Geoana said.

Geoana will stand against Basescu at the presidential elections on November 22. His party repeatedly accused Basescu of trying to defraud the elections and quit the Boc cabinet after the prime minister sacked Social Democrat interior minister Dan Nica earlier in October.

National-Liberal leader Crin Antonescu, who will also stand for president, said that his party would not vote anyone other than Johannis, the party's nominee.

Croitoru has 10 days to present his ministerial team in parliament, a period during which Boc's cabinet will serve as interim government with heavily curtailed powers.