No president elected

Neither of the two candidates for the presidency of Moldova – former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi and Academician Stanislav Groppa – both nominated by the Moldovan Communists Party, have gained today the required 61 votes to become president. However, the score was very one sided – 60:1 – in favor of the former premier. The Communists, holding 60 votes in total, are just one vote short of the number needed to elect a president and the key to future of the Moldovan presidency seems to be in the hands of the opposition parties, which hold a cumulated number of 40 votes. No representative of the opposition was noticed near the voting booth today as all three opposition parties left the Parliament's session altogether. Unable to elect a president, the 60 Comunist MPs decided to hold another attempt on May 28. If this second attempt fails, the acting president shall dissolve Parliament and announce early parliamentary elections.