CHISINAU -- Moldova's ruling Communists have failed to win the 61 votes required for parliament to approve their presidential candidate, opening the way for parliamentary elections, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service reported.
All 60 Communist deputies voted in the parliamentary poll to elect Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii to succeed veteran Communist President Vladimir Voronin.
But the result was one vote short of the needed 61 votes in the 101-seat parliament, as the opposition boycotted the vote.
It was the second attempt to get Greceanii's candidacy approved.
Voronin, who cannot run for a third term, had hoped to keep the reins of power in his new job of parliament speaker.
According to the constitution, Voronin must dissolve the assembly and call a new general election.
The Communists' victory in the last general elections on April 5 led to violent protests.