Moldova Postpones Presidential Election
Marian Lupu, who recently left the Communist Party, was the only candidate.
October 22, 2009
CHISINAU -- Moldova's parliament has decided to postpone an attempt by lawmakers to elect a new president, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service reports.
The vote was originally scheduled for October 23, and no new date has been announced.
The only candidate for the post is former Communist parliament speaker Marian Lupu, who is now the head of the Democratic Party and a leader of the four-party ruling Alliance for European Integration.
It remains unclear whether the election can be held with just one candidate, since the Constitutional Court ruled in 2001 that elections should be competitive.
Alliance lawmakers said they want the issue resolved before proceeding with an election.
The opposition Communist Party has said it will not support Lupu or nominate its own candidate.
Analysts say the Communists want to block the election of a president in order to force snap parliamentary elections early next year.
Moldova has already seen legislative polls in April and again in July this year.