Moldova parliament sets presidential vote

A three-fifths majority is needed to elect a new president, requiring the support of the Communist Party.

The Moldovan parliament decided Friday it would try again December 7 to elect a president of the ex-Soviet republic as it seeks to overcome entrenched political stalemate after years of Communist rule.

- Repeat elections of the Moldovan president will take place on December 7 - Deputy Parliament Speaker Alexandru Stoianoglo said, reading from a resolution passed by the parliament.

The new date comes after the national legislature failed on November 10 to elect a new president despite having only one candidate -- liberal Marian Lupu -- on the ballot, as the Communists walked out to boycott the vote.

A three-fifths majority is needed to elect a new president, requiring the support of the Communist Party.

If the December 7 vote again proves unsuccessful, the parliament should be dissolved and new legislative elections held, according to the constitution.

Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat recently expressed cautious hope the new vote would however be successful.

- We are hoping we will manage to elect a president - Filat told AFP last week in Yalta after meeting his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

- We still need eight votes. There is confidence that there will be the votes required to elect a president - he added, without elaborating.

Lupu has recently reached out to the Communists, asking them to participate in the upcoming election in exchange for more control over electoral procedures. The Communists said they would study the proposal.

The pro-Western opposition narrowly won July elections to gain a slim majority in parliament, ending eight years of Communist rule. Former president and Communist Party leader resigned last month.