Moldovan communist victory

MOLDOVA’S governing pro-Western Communists won a parliamentary majority in national elections but fell short of taking enough seats to re-elect President Vladimir Voronin, according to near final results released yesterday.

With nearly 99% of the votes counted, Voronin’s Communists had some 46% of the vote in Sunday’s election, down from the 50% the party polled in the 2001 elections, the Central Electoral Commission said.

The Communist Part was projected to win 56 seats, which would be enough to form a government. However, they would fall five seats short of the minimum 61 parliamentary seats, or three-fifths majority, needed to choose the president.

Parliament has 45 days to choose the president, after which it must hold new parliamentary elections.