Pro-western parties to form government in Moldova

Pro-western opposition parties in Moldova have formed a coalition which will give them sufficient seats in parliament to form a government.

The communist party has lead the nation for more than a decade and the move could prove a significant change in direction for the former Soviet republic. However, their 53 seats will not give the coalition sufficient votes to elect a successor to incumbent president Vladimir Voronin, a communist who effectively runs the country. That would require the votes of 61 of the 101 parliamentary members which would mean that at least 8 members of the communist opposition would have to change sides. Moldova, which shares historic ties with its neighbour Romania, is Europe’s poorest nation. Agriculture is the mainstay of its economy. The leaders of the coalition say that fighting corruption, and pulling Moldova out of its economic recession are their main aims. They also want closer ties with the EU.

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