CHISINAU (Reuters) -- Moldova's parliament has failed to elect the Western-leaning coalition's candidate as president after a walk-out by the opposition communists, the chairman of parliament's electoral commission said.
"Marian Lupu received 53 votes," Ion Plesca told journalists.
The boycott by the powerful communists left Lupu, candidate of the Alliance for European Integration whose deputies number 53, eight short of the required 61 to win election.