Communists to win Moldova vote but short of seats

By Sabina Zawadzki

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's ruling Communists gained enough votes on Sunday to hold on to power in parliament, exit polls showed, but lacked the number of seats to install a new president, raising the spectre of another election.

Parliament's first step is to elect a new president, and if the Communists do not garner support among the opposition and approve a candidate within three votes, then, under the constitution, a new parliamentary election must be called.

President Vladimir Voronin, the only Communist president in Europe and the former Soviet Union, has to step down as he cannot stand for a third consecutive term.

But with 45 percent of the vote and 55 seats in parliament, according to the latest estimate by the Moldovan Institute for Public Policies, Voronin's Communists would need another six parliamentarians to vote in their own candidate.

Three opposition parties that passed the 6 percent threshold to enter parliament said they would not enter a coalition with the Communists.

The opposition broadly advocates more integration with the European Union, including closer ties with EU member neighbour Romania, with which Moldova shares linguistic heritage, and NATO membership -- an ambition that is likely to infuriate Russia.

Voronin promotes integration with Europe but has cooled to the idea of closer ties with Romania.

"We have repeatedly said that this is a criminal regime and we will not go into a coalition," Vlad Filat, leader of the Liberal Democratic party, said speaking on PRO-TV channel.