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Moldovan Parliament Fails To Elect President

December 16, 2011

by RFE/RL

Moldova's parliament has failed to select a new president.

Parliament speaker and interim president Marian Lupu, the only candidate, won 58-3, but did not receive the two-thirds of the vote required because of a Communist boycott.

The ruling pro-Western coalition does not have the 61 votes in the 101-strong parliament needed to elect the head of state and opposition Communists -- the largest party in parliament -- have refused to compromise.

Three deputies who defected from the Communist party last month and might have helped Lupu get elected voted against him.

Marian Lupu told RFE/RL that the Communist leadership "locked" its deputies to prevent defectors from casting their vote.

"Based on the information we have, they [the Communist deputies] are not simply absent, they have been literally locked away together somewhere," Lupu said.

The Communists did not comment on Lupu's statement.

A new ballot to choose a president of Moldova will be held in January. If no one wins, parliament will be dissolved and replaced in a new election.

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, has been in a political deadlock since 2009.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/moldovan_parliament_fails_to_elect_president_/24424547.html

Copyright (c) 2011. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.