Presidential election set for October 23 will most likely be postponed because only one person was nominated

A few weeks ago, Parliament, which picks the head of state in Moldova, set the presidential election for October 23, 2009.

The ruling Alliance for European Integration nominated Democratic Party head Marian Lupu. The opposition Party of Communists refused to put forth a candidate.

Considering the fact that at least two people need to run for president, the October 23 election will most likely be rescheduled for a later date.

Alliance leaders seem to have refused to nominate a second person, like the Party of Communists did after the April 5 elections. At that time, the opposition refused to put forth a candidate, as a result of which the Communists nominated two people: then-Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii and Stanislav Groppa during the first round, and Ms. Greceanii and Andrei Neguta during the second round.

Ms. Greceanii received all 60 Communist votes in the legislature each time, which led to an unprecedented phenomenon in Moldova: Mr. Groppa and Mr. Neguta ran for President but received zero votes. The press said at the time that the two candidates, especially Mr. Groppa, who was more of an apolitical candidate, had been humiliated by the Communists because they accepted to be nominated but the Communists refused to vote for them.

h/t www.stireazilei.md