MADRID, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo would take charge of the transport portfolio following Oscar Puente's resignation.
With Spain's snap general election scheduled for Nov. 29, Sanchez decided to assign the transport portfolio to Cuerpo, who is also economy minister, rather than appoint a new minister.
Speaking at the Moncloa Palace, Sanchez praised Puente's work in office, describing his resignation as a gesture of respect for the victims of recent railway accidents and would help restore public confidence in the railway system and political institutions.
Puente announced his resignation on Tuesday following a parliamentary hearing on the high-speed train collision near Urda in Toledo province on Oct. 28, which killed 69 people and raised widespread concerns over railway safety and the management of the country's rail network.
Puente also announced that he would withdraw as the lead candidate of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in Valladolid for the general election. ■
