Romania's president called on the prime minister to resign on Friday (April 27) after she endorsed a secret deal to move the country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, overstepping her powers on foreign policy.

The head of state cannot dismiss the premier but President Klaus Iohannis' call could trigger a no-confidence vote, something Prime Minister Viorica Dancila should easily survive given her party's robust majority in parliament.

Any decision on embassy relocation rests with the president, who said he was not consulted about that or the state visit Dancila paid to Israel this week along with the leader of her Social Democrat party, Liviu Dragnea.

Dancila has said the memorandum she approved was confidential and could not be made public yet.

Iohannis - who has the final say in foreign policy matters - said moving the embassy to Jerusalem, which is not widely recognised as Israel's capital due to competing sovereignty claims by the Palestinians, has said the move could break international law.

Dancila has yet to comment on his call for her to resign.

Romania would be the first EU country and one of very few countries in the world to relocate its embassy following U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December.

The Romanian foreign ministry had said the memorandum was only the start of a wide consultation process and that it sought to identify the best way for Romania to position itself.

It added Romania's position regarding the Israeli-Palestinian situation "has traditionally been a balanced one, including ... bilaterally recognising the Palestinian state."

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "at least half a dozen" countries were considering moving their embassies to Jerusalem. The U.S. Embassy is due to relocate on May 14.

The head of state cannot dismiss the premier but President Klaus Iohannis' call could trigger a no-confidence vote, something Prime Minister Viorica Dancila should easily survive given her party's robust majority in parliament

Romania's president called on the prime minister to resign on Friday (April 27) after she endorsed a secret deal to move the country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, overstepping her powers on foreign policy. The head of state cannot dismiss the premier but President Klaus Iohannis' call could trigger a no-confidence vote, something Prime Minister Viorica Dancila should easily survive given her party's robust majority in parliament. Any decision on embassy relocation rests with the president, who said he was not consulted about that or the state visit Dancila paid to Israel this week along with the leader of her Social Democrat party, Liviu Dragnea. Dancila has said the memorandum she approved was confidential and could not be made public yet. Iohannis - who has the final say in foreign policy matters - said moving the embassy to Jerusalem, which is not widely recognised as Israel's capital due to competing sovereignty claims by the Palestinians, has said the move could break international law. Dancila has yet to comment on his call for her to resign. Romania would be the first EU country and one of very few countries in the world to relocate its embassy following U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December. The Romanian foreign ministry had said the memorandum was only the start of a wide consultation process and that it sought to identify the best way for Romania to position itself. It added Romania's position regarding the Israeli-Palestinian situation "has traditionally been a balanced one, including ... bilaterally recognising the Palestinian state." Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "at least half a dozen" countries were considering moving their embassies to Jerusalem. The U.S. Embassy is due to relocate on May 14.

Romania's president calls on PM to quit over Israel embassy move

Nepal&#39;s KP Sharma Oli resigned as Prime Minister today, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament he was certain to lose, plunging the impoverished nation into fresh turmoil. 
 
His political rivals, former Maoist rebels, called for the vote against Oli after they deserted his fragile ruling coalition, accusing him of reneging on past deals and following deadly unrest over a divisive new constitution. 
 
&quot;I have decided to open the road to elect a new prime minister in this parliament and presented my resignation to the president,&quot; Oli told lawmakers who were set to vote on the no-confidence motion. 
 
Oli accuses rivals of undermining ruling government&nbsp; 
 
In his speech, the embattled premier accused rival lawmakers of undermining his nine-month-old government, which he said was working to rebuild the Himalayan country after a devastating earthquake last year. 
 
&quot;I am concerned that the steps taken were driven by selfishness and revenge (and they) will cause a long-term negative impact and push the country to instability,&quot; he said of the motion, during the nearly two-hour speech. 
 
Oli&#39;s resignation is the latest crisis to hit Nepal which has been struggling to rebuild the quake last April that claimed almost 9,000 lives. 
 
The former rebels and main opposition Nepali Congress party had said they would try to form a new administration if Oli lost the vote, with Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal as premier. 
 
Dahal, the country&#39;s first prime minister after the Maoist insurgency ended in 2006, pulled his party from Oli&#39;s coalition two weeks ago, leaving it without a majority. 
 
Dahal, better known by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda, painted Oli as an egocentric who refused to listen to the people and demanded that he resign. 
 
After debate on the motion kicked off on Friday, two smaller parties also abandoned the coalition, leaving Oli&#39;s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) floundering for support. 
 
The Maoists joined Oli&#39;s government last October, weeks after Nepal adopted the new national constitution. 
 
Coalition cracks 
 
Cracks began to appear in the coalition two months ago when the Maoists threatened to topple Oli, prompting the premier to draw up an 11th-hour deal with Dahal. 
 
But Dahal later withdrew from the coalition, citing the government&#39;s failure to implement that agreement to withdraw war cases from Nepal&#39;s courts and offer amnesties to people accused of abuses during the decade-long Maoist conflict. 
 
Since becoming premier, Oli has faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade in southern Nepal by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. 
 
More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who said the constitution left them politically marginalised. 
 
The new constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal&#39;s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. 
 
But ongoing discussions between the government and protesters over the charter have failed to yield agreement. 
 
Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an &quot;unofficial blockade&quot; on the landlocked nation in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural and family links with Indians across the border. 
 
(AFP)

KP Oli was forced to quit after coalition allies deserted the government accusing him of not honouring power sharing deals

Nepal's KP Sharma Oli resigned as Prime Minister today, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament he was certain to lose, plunging the impoverished nation into fresh turmoil. His political rivals, former Maoist rebels, called for the vote against Oli after they deserted his fragile ruling coalition, accusing him of reneging on past deals and following deadly unrest over a divisive new constitution. "I have decided to open the road to elect a new prime minister in this parliament and presented my resignation to the president," Oli told lawmakers who were set to vote on the no-confidence motion. Oli accuses rivals of undermining ruling government In his speech, the embattled premier accused rival lawmakers of undermining his nine-month-old government, which he said was working to rebuild the Himalayan country after a devastating earthquake last year. "I am concerned that the steps taken were driven by selfishness and revenge (and they) will cause a long-term negative impact and push the country to instability," he said of the motion, during the nearly two-hour speech. Oli's resignation is the latest crisis to hit Nepal which has been struggling to rebuild the quake last April that claimed almost 9,000 lives. The former rebels and main opposition Nepali Congress party had said they would try to form a new administration if Oli lost the vote, with Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal as premier. Dahal, the country's first prime minister after the Maoist insurgency ended in 2006, pulled his party from Oli's coalition two weeks ago, leaving it without a majority. Dahal, better known by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda, painted Oli as an egocentric who refused to listen to the people and demanded that he resign. After debate on the motion kicked off on Friday, two smaller parties also abandoned the coalition, leaving Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) floundering for support. The Maoists joined Oli's government last October, weeks after Nepal adopted the new national constitution. Coalition cracks Cracks began to appear in the coalition two months ago when the Maoists threatened to topple Oli, prompting the premier to draw up an 11th-hour deal with Dahal. But Dahal later withdrew from the coalition, citing the government's failure to implement that agreement to withdraw war cases from Nepal's courts and offer amnesties to people accused of abuses during the decade-long Maoist conflict. Since becoming premier, Oli has faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade in southern Nepal by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who said the constitution left them politically marginalised. The new constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal's transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. But ongoing discussions between the government and protesters over the charter have failed to yield agreement. Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an "unofficial blockade" on the landlocked nation in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural and family links with Indians across the border. (AFP)

Nepal PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O&#39;Neill survived a no-confidence vote today, EMTV reported, an outcome unlikely to end upheaval in a country developing lucrative projects with energy majors ExxonMobil Corp and French giant Total SA. 
 
The Supreme Court last week ordered parliament to reconvene, for the first time since June protests between students and police boiled over into violent clashes, for the express purpose of allowing the opposition to lodge a no-confidence motion against O&#39;Neill. 
 
Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion at the opening of the session today, detailing numerous accusations of corruption against O&#39;Neill since he took office in 2010. 
 
&quot;To make the wrong decision here would be a mistake,&quot; Basil told parliament. &quot;Today, it is up to us on the floor to make a change.&quot; 
 
But Basil only secured 21 of the 56 lawmakers needed to oust O&#39;Neill, leaving unclear how long a strike by aviation, maritime and public transport workers that has effectively cut off the rugged, mountainous nation, would continue. 
 
Anti-incumbency sentiment prevails&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Australia&#39;s Oil Search Ltd yesterday cleared the way for ExxonMobil to take over InterOil Corp for $2.2 billion, giving the US giant access to a rich new gas field to expand its exports from Papua New Guinea. 
 
The move could lead ExxonMobil and Total to tie together their competing gas interests in the South Pacific nation, cooperating to reduce costs as they battle cheap oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. 
 
However, despite the growing resource wealth, corruption and violence are endemic in the island nation of seven million people, raising concern about its long-term stability and the ability to deliver a higher quality of life to its citizens. 
 
Martyn Namorong, head of the PNG Resource Governance Coalition, urged protesters to respect the decision in order to avoid a further descent into chaos and violence. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m a little bit deflated personally, but I respect the decision of parliament,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
&quot;Papua New Guineans have suffered a lot more than the politicians, and we should not create more suffering for ourselves.&quot; 
 
Student protest leader Noel Anjo urged Australia, which has said little about the crisis, to speak out. 
 
&quot;They should come out and say something, because this country, the leadership, is not right,&quot; he said. &quot;Under O&#39;Neill, the leadership has gone from bad to worse.&quot; 
 
Namorong argued that Australia&#39;s traditional role as the indispensable nation in the Asia-Pacific region was eroding. 
 
&quot;I think the Australian influence in PNG has declined and that is reflected in how indifferent Australia is to what happens in Papua New Guinea,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

?Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion today detailing numerous accusations of corruption against PM O'Neill

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill survived a no-confidence vote today, EMTV reported, an outcome unlikely to end upheaval in a country developing lucrative projects with energy majors ExxonMobil Corp and French giant Total SA. The Supreme Court last week ordered parliament to reconvene, for the first time since June protests between students and police boiled over into violent clashes, for the express purpose of allowing the opposition to lodge a no-confidence motion against O'Neill. Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil moved the motion at the opening of the session today, detailing numerous accusations of corruption against O'Neill since he took office in 2010. "To make the wrong decision here would be a mistake," Basil told parliament. "Today, it is up to us on the floor to make a change." But Basil only secured 21 of the 56 lawmakers needed to oust O'Neill, leaving unclear how long a strike by aviation, maritime and public transport workers that has effectively cut off the rugged, mountainous nation, would continue. Anti-incumbency sentiment prevails Meanwhile, Australia's Oil Search Ltd yesterday cleared the way for ExxonMobil to take over InterOil Corp for $2.2 billion, giving the US giant access to a rich new gas field to expand its exports from Papua New Guinea. The move could lead ExxonMobil and Total to tie together their competing gas interests in the South Pacific nation, cooperating to reduce costs as they battle cheap oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. However, despite the growing resource wealth, corruption and violence are endemic in the island nation of seven million people, raising concern about its long-term stability and the ability to deliver a higher quality of life to its citizens. Martyn Namorong, head of the PNG Resource Governance Coalition, urged protesters to respect the decision in order to avoid a further descent into chaos and violence. "I'm a little bit deflated personally, but I respect the decision of parliament," he told Reuters. "Papua New Guineans have suffered a lot more than the politicians, and we should not create more suffering for ourselves." Student protest leader Noel Anjo urged Australia, which has said little about the crisis, to speak out. "They should come out and say something, because this country, the leadership, is not right," he said. "Under O'Neill, the leadership has gone from bad to worse." Namorong argued that Australia's traditional role as the indispensable nation in the Asia-Pacific region was eroding. "I think the Australian influence in PNG has declined and that is reflected in how indifferent Australia is to what happens in Papua New Guinea," he said. (Reuters)

Papua New Guinea PM survives no-confidence vote?amid     strikes

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Romania's president calls on PM to quit over Israel embassy move

Nepal PM resigns ahead of no-confidence vote

Papua New Guinea PM survives no-confidence vote?amid strikes