BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's president has nominated the country's finance minister to be head of a new government.

President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday that he asked Finance Minister Florin Citu to form a new government and become prime minister.

Romania's centrist, minority government was ousted three weeks ago after losing a confidence vote in parliament.

The government led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has remained in a caretaker role since, including Citu as finance minister.

Citu now has 10 days to nominate his Cabinet and seek approval from parliament.

The Orban government had been in power only since November, when it replaced a Social Democratic government beset by corruption scandals.

National elections are scheduled to be held only around the end of the year or early 2021, but Orban's National Liberal Party, formerly headed by Iohannis, is seen trying to provoke early elections to exploit its good standing in opinion polls.

If lawmakers reject two prime ministerial candidates proposed by the president, early elections would be called.