Opposition '7 or 8' Votes Short To Pick President

With 99.9 percent of the votes counted, the Communists look like they'll control 48 seats in the new parliament, while their political rivals will hold a combined 53 seats.

Under the Moldovan Constitution, choosing a president requires the backing of 61 of the legislature's 101 deputies.

"The president of the country designates a prime minister," Marian Lupu reminded journalists today, "but seven or eight votes are still needed [in order] to choose a president."

-- Lucian Stefanescu