Communists lead in Moldovan parliamentary polls

MOSCOW. November 30. KAZINFORM Moldova's Communist Party leads in Sunday's early parliamentary elections after all ballots have been counted, the Ekho Moskvy radio station reported on Tuesday, citing the country's central election commission. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

The Communists are ahead with 39.3%, followed by three parties from the ruling coalition: the Liberal Democrats with 29.4%, the Democrats 12.7% and the Liberals 10%.

The preliminary results mean that 44 parliamentary seats would go to the Communist Party, while the three coalition partners would secure 59 seats. None of the two major political forces would garner 61 seats required to elect a president.

A total of 20 parties and 19 independent candidates were seeking to enter the country's 101-seat parliament.

Moldovan acting president Mihai Ghimpu announced the dissolution of parliament on September 28. The move was in line with the Constitutional Court's September 21 ruling, which said that a failure to elect a president in two subsequent elections provided sufficient grounds for the dissolution of parliament.

The impoverished former Soviet republic has been divided between the Communists, who had dominated the political scene for most of the decade, and the ruling coalition of four parties who seek closer ties with the European Union. Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version