The Moldavian parliament has set presidential polls for March 16. The date was voted for by the coalition “For European Integration” and socialists of Igor Dodon, ITAR-TASS reports.
Veronica Bakalu, a candidate for president, former Vice President of the National Bank of Moldavia, has been working in the European Department of the IMF in Washington since 2003. Her election could end the long political crisis in the country, which cannot elect a president for 3 years.
The ruling coalition, consisting of liberal democrats, democrats and liberals, has 59 out of 101 votes. The presidential polls need 61 votes to be set. They have reached an agreement with Dodon’s socialists. The communists control the remaining 39 mandates and have held numerous protests in Kishinev for about a month, demanding resignation of parliament, off-year parliamentary polls and resignation of government.
The Liberal Party has dragged setting of elections. It proposed detailed talks about other candidates for the position. The party has decided to vote for elections. Moldavia will have the fourth off-year parliamentary elections unless the current parliament elects a president in the next months.
