3 Min Read
CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldovans were voting in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday in which pro-Western President Maya Sandu hopes to win a majority to fight corruption and carry out reforms she says were blocked by allies of her pro-Russian predecessor, Igor Dodon.
Slideshow ( 3 images )
The West and Russia vie for influence in the tiny ex-Soviet republic of 3.5 million people, which is one of Europe’s poorest nations and has suffered a sharp economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sandu, a former World Bank economist who favours closer ties with the European Union, defeated Dodon last year but was forced to share power with the parliament elected in 2019 and the government run by lawmakers aligned with Dodon.
Moldova expects 2021 wheat crop to rise sharply agriculture.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from agriculture.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CHISINAU A political crisis in Moldova lurched towards constitional deadlock on Tuesday as the country’s top court ruled that parliament had overstepped its…
Sandu has said a majority of Moldovans want an early parliamentary vote.
Sandu’s pro-Russian predecessor, Igor Dodon, urged that the court’s decision not be recognized and demanded the resignation of the judges, saying there was an attempt at a “constitutional coup.”
Confrontation between Sandu and the opposition-dominated parliament escalated when the assembly twice refused to consider Sandu’s nominees for the post of prime minister.
The president is allowed constitutionally to dissolve parliament if it twice fails to appoint a new government within the space of 45 days.
Moldova has been beset by instability and corruption scandals in recent years, including the disappearance of $1 billion from the banking system. (Reporting by Alexander Tanas, writing by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Jane Merriman and Bernadette Baum)