Moldova's New President Sworn In

Nicolae Timofti

Nicolae Timofti has been sworn in as Moldova's new president at a special session of parliament.

Timofti, 63, was elected on March 16 by 62-0 in the country's 101-seat legislature.

Sixty-one votes are needed to secure election and opposition Communist Party deputies boycotted the session.

The Communists also boycotted the inauguration, which was attended by the country's first two post-Soviet presidents, but not by Communist Party head Vladimir Voronin, who resigned as president in September 2009.

The Communists -- which comprise the single largest bloc in parliament but are outvoted by a coalition of three West-leaning parties -- continue not to recognize Timofti's legitimacy and have called on the public to protest his election.

Before Timofti's election, Moldova went more than 900 days without a president.

Based on ITAR-TASS and Interfax reports