Romanian justice minister resigns as anti-corruption protests grow

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Romanian Justice Minister Florin Iordache resigned Thursday after his bill to reduce government corruption penalties prompted street demonstrations.

Iordache wrote the government decree, which decriminalized abuse of power offenses involving sums below $47,500, as well as clemency and reduced prison terms for government officials convicted of corruption offenses. Although the Romanian Supreme Court has not ruled on its legitimacy, the bill, announced last week, would shield many politicians from prosecution.

The government withdrew the decree after mass protests. Demonstrators in Bucharest began massing daily, beginning on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people protested against the bill in the city's major public square Saturday, the largest crowd of protesters in Romania since its communist government collapsed in 1989.

The bill was promoted by the government as a means of ending prison overcrowding and to align some laws with the country's Constitution. Opponents regard it as a way of pardoning some members of the ruling Social Democrat Party in advance of trials.

Earlier this week Romanian President Klaus Iohannis told parliament that "the resignation of a minister will not be enough," and ordered the Justice Ministry to draft a new anti-corruption bill.