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Moldova Lawmakers Fail To Elect a New President

CHISINAU, Moldova — Moldova faced further political instability after a walkout by Communists in the parliament on Tuesday blocked the election of the pro-Western coalition’s candidate as president.

The vote for president — for which Marian Lupu was the only candidate — was the latest attempt by the governing Alliance for European Integration to tighten its grip on Moldova after defeating the Communists in a July election.

But the Communists, denouncing proceedings as a “political farce,” stymied the election of Lupu, a Communist defector, by leaving the parliament before the ballot.

This condemned the 53 alliance deputies to taking part in a doomed ballot since they were eight short of the 61 votes required for a president to be elected.

Former Communist President Vladimir Voronin has publicly ruled out voting for Lupu, 43, whom he labeled as “a traitor.”

But there are dissidents within Communist ranks who may be ready to support him in exchange for political concessions, and acting President Mihai Ghimpu said he was confident that Lupu would be elected next time around.

“We have to organize repeat elections for president, and I am sure that Marian Lupu will become president,” he said, RIA-Novosti reported.

The new vote should be held next month, and deputies informally suggested the date of Dec. 10.

If there is no result from that vote, Ghimpu must dissolve the parliament and call a new parliamentary election.

The Communists, before marching out of the parliament Tuesday, accused the new governing coalition of flouting the law and constitution since coming to power.

“The ruling alliance is leading an anti-social policy, is violating the constitution, laws and regulations of parliament. … All this borders usurping power. We cannot vote for the candidate of the ruling alliance. We will not take part in this political farce,” said Maria Postoico, leader of the Communist faction.

Oleg Serebryan, an alliance leader, retorted that any future elections in Moldova would be genuinely democratic. “We will create conditions for participation by hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens who, under Communist rule, had to go and work abroad and were deprived of the right of expression,” he told the parliament.

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