BUCHAREST: Romania's president will name an interim prime minister after Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned following mass protests over a nightclub fire that left more than 30 people dead on Friday.

President Klaus Iohannis will name the caretaker premier later Thursday. He will hold talks with political parties later in the day and will nominate a new prime minister later this week, tasked with forming a new government, which needs parliamentary approval.

If this fails twice, early elections will be called. Scheduled parliamentary elections are not due until December 2016.

Thousands demonstrated this week demanding early elections and better governance.

Ponta has proposed Defense Minister Mircea Dusa as interim prime minister.