Moldova's Parliament Postpones Vote for President over Legislative Gap - TV

There is just one nominee for the post and there is no clear explanation in the legislation whether one candidate is enough to hold presidential elections, the broadcaster reported.

Moldova's pro-West government coalition, which controls 53 of the 101 seats in the chamber, has nominated former parliament speaker and Democratic Party leader Marian Lupu as its candidate for the president’s post. The Communists, which have 48 seats, have nominated no candidate for head of state so far.

A parliamentary commission has concluded that the law does not explicitly stipulate whether one candidate is enough to hold a presidential vote or there must be at least two nominees.

"The special commission proposes to draft measures to amend the law of presidential election," Pro TV Chisinau quoted the chairman of the parliamentary commission on president’s election, Ion Plesca, as saying.

The legislators, which must elect the president by November 11, have two weeks now to propose amendments to the law and to set new date for the elections, Pro TV Chisinau (www.protv.md) said.

The four-party government coalition, which comprises the Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Liberal Democratic Party and Our Moldova Alliance, had enough support in the chamber to form a cabinet but is short of the 61-seat majority needed to elect the country's next president, which means it will have to rely on support from members of parliament from opposition Communist Party.

Under Moldova's constitution, a new general election should be called if parliament fails twice to elect a new head of state. The same situation occured earlier this year, when the previous Communist-dominated legislature failed to elect Moldova's new president. Parliament was dissolved and snap elections were held on July 29, in which the Communists were ousted from power.

In September, Moldova’s parliament speaker and Liberal Party leader Mihai Ghimpu assumed the functions of the president in line with the constitution, after Vladimir Voronin, who had served two four year-terms since 2001, resigned.