Romania's ruling party head seeks solution to defuse graft decree conflict

People demonstrate against a cabinet decree passed earlier in the week decriminalising some graft offences, in Bucharest, Romania February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's prime minister said on Saturday he was scrapping a decree that would have shielded dozens of politicians from prosecution for corruption, bowing to one of the biggest protests since the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

Sorin Grindeanu said the decree - which decriminalised several graft offences in what the government said was a bid to relive pressure on the prison system - would be repealed on Sunday, just five days after is was approved by the cabinet.