Romania's ruling party to decide whether to ax its premier

"Grindeanu resisted as much as he could but he didn't have the party's support any more - it's hard for the party to prefer him over Dragnea, the PSD leader stands uncontested", said Radu Magdin, a political consultant who previously worked with the Social Democrats.

The PSD came to power six months ago on the back of a thumping poll victory.

Under the Romanian constitution, the only feasible means to make the prime minister to step down is a vote of no-confidence in parliament.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's ruling party withdrew political support for Premier Sorin Grindeanu and his Cabinet on Wednesday after the party's leader said he had lost confidence in the government, throwing the country into a political crisis. But after a five-hour-long meeting on Wednesday night, the PSD Executive Committee made a decision to withdraw support for the Cabinet.

Earlier on Wednesday, Grindeanu told journalists he did not intend to resign, but said he was expecting a "public execution".

The vote, probably due next Thursday, is likely to succeed as the two groupings hold majority in parliament. Both the prime minister and his cabinet must be approved by the MPs in a vote of confidence. The PSD leader has denied the charges.

Romania's regional development minister was convicted today (15 May) of masterminding a campaign to use bribes and forged ballot papers to swing an impeachment vote against the former president Traian B?sescu in 2012. Grindeanu said the party was unhappy that he'd failed to improve commercial ties with Russian Federation. Grindeanu remains in office, but the party threatened to expel him if he did not resign.

In a highly unusual development, Romania's governing Social Democratic Party is trying to oust its own government - as a feud between the party chief and the PM worsens.

The crisis eventually ended with Grindeanu's nomination in January.

Grindeanu, a former communications minister, was seen as a "disciplined soldier" within the PSD ranks, having joined the party at a very young.

On Thursday, local media reported that Ponta could be named by Grindeanu as the chief of government's general secretariat SGG.

The inferno was blamed on corrupt officials turning a blind eye to fire rules.

Nonetheless, Romania logged first-quarter economic growth of 5.7 percent, according to data released last month, the fastest rate in the EU.