CHISINAU -- A leading member of Moldova's Communist Party has written a letter to party chief and former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin asking him to seek a compromise with the country's new leaders to avoid early elections, RFE/RL's Moldovan Service reports.
Vladimir Turcanu told RFE/RL the letter represents his personal view and denied that the Communist Party is in danger of splitting. Moldova's new parliament will try to elect a head of state on October 23. The pro-Western ruling coalition has a simple majority in parliament, but needs eight votes from the Communists to elect the president with the necessary three-fifths vote.
If the election fails Moldova will have new general elections early next year. It is still unclear if any Communist deputies will vote for the ruling coalition's candidate, Marian Lupu, a former Communist Party member who now leads the Democratic Party.