Romania Could See First Female Muslim Premier

Romania could have its first female prime minister, an economist who is a member of the country's small Muslim community.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday he would appoint a prime minister designate after Sunday, as he needed time to assess a proposal made by the Social Democrat Party, the winners of a December 11 parliamentary election.

Liviu Dragnea, chairman of PSD, proposed that Sevil Shhaideh take the post of prime minister. The announcement was a surprise because her name is not widely known in Romania, Aljazeera reported.

Shhaideh, 52, is a party member but did not run as a member of parliament in the election. She was the minister for regional development for six months in 2015 and is currently an official in the regional development ministry.