BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) _ Romania's largest party on Monday nominated a former economy minister to be the next prime minister.
  
The nomination of 50-year-old Mihai Tudose was announced before President Klaus Iohannis and Liviu Dragnea, the powerful leader of Romania's biggest party, the leftist Social Democratic Party.
  
Dragnea and political ally Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who heads the junior Alliance of Democrats and Liberals, later met Iohannis and presented their choice. 
  
If Tudose is formally nominated by the president, Parliament could approve him this week, Dragnea said.   
  
Normally, as party leader, Dragnea would be prime minister, but in 2016 he was convicted of vote-rigging, which disqualifies him from holding the post.
  
The Social Democrats withdrew support for Premier Sorin Grindeanu saying he had underperformed. He refused to resign and the party and its allies ousted Grindeanu's government in a no-confidence vote last week.