Pantelimon Erhan

Pantelimon Erhan (1884–1971) was a Moldovan politician and prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–1918).

Biography

Pantelimon Erhan was born in 1884 in Tănătari, Căușeni District. He died in 1971 in Bucharest.

Prime minister

He was the first prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic (21 December [O.S. 8 December] 1917 - 6 February [O.S. 24 January] 1918).

On 21 December [O.S. 8 December] 1917, Sfatul Ţării elected the Pantelimon Erhan Cabinet (named the Council of Directors General), with nine members and with Pantelimon Erhan as President of the Council of Directors General and Director General for Agriculture. The Agrarian reform was a cornerstone priority of the Moldavian Democratic Republic government.

The presence of the Romanian army in Moldavian Democratic Republic has caused tension within the Council, with some of its members, Pantelimon Erhan protesting against it. In particular they feared that big land owners-dominated Romanian Government could use the troops to prevent the envisaged Agrarian reform, a cornerstone priority of the Moldavian Democratic Republic government.