Major Upset in Moldova

Parliamentary elections held yesterday in Moldova saw the Party of Communists (PCRM) lose control over the body in the second legislative contest this year. President Vladimir Voronin, whose term has officially expired, dissolved Parliament after April elections when he failed to garner enough support for his chosen successor. Presidents in Moldova are elected by Parliament, and the results of the elections in April left Voronin and the PCRM one vote shy of the 61 necessary to approve a President. The results of this election will give four opposition parties a combined 53 seats against the Communists' 48, as long as PCRM-defector Marian Lupu's center-left Democratic Party agrees to join the opposition coalition. On the upside, Moldova may see its first real change in leadership in years, leading to more openness towards Europe; on the downside, no party has nearly enough votes to select a new President, which may trigger a constitutional crisis and further political turmoil.