Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Moldovan Communists face liberal challenge in poll
Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:23am EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Dmitry Solovyov
CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldovans voted for a new parliament on Wednesday, choosing between the ruling pro-Russian Communists and liberal parties seeking better ties with the West.
The ex-Soviet state's outgoing President Vladimir Voronin said his Communists, in power for eight years, would again come out as winners in the second election in less than four months. He praised Russia as Moldova's "most sincere friend."
The president's liberal rivals also predicted victory. One leader called for an alliance with a rejuvenated centrist party to end Communist administration of Europe's poorest country. The Communists want closer ties with Europe, but see Moscow as a "strategic partner." Russia keeps troops in Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region and supplies over 90 percent of the nation's energy. It has promised $500 million in loans to help the country in the global crisis.
"The Communists have a good chance because they have done a lot in eight years," said Valentina, 67, in central Chisinau.
"Down with the Communists! Enough is enough," said Leonid, 54, after voting at a theater in the capital.
Also at stake are ties with Romania, which shares a common language and history with the ex-Soviet state. Relations sank to an unprecedented low under Voronin, who urged Bucharest to abandon any notion of the neighbors reuniting.
The campaign exposed a gap between Voronin's voters in impoverished villages and among ethnic minorities and the mostly young, urban electorate of his opponents who want integration with Europe, where vast numbers of Moldovan migrants work.
Turnout was higher than in April and had reached the required 33 percent by early afternoon. Ten parties are taking part, with 2,000 polling stations open until 9 p.m. (1800 GMT).
Voronin cast his ballot at a Chisinau school, where voting was brisk in the summer sunshine.
"Absolutely!" he said, when asked whether the Communists would win. He said Russia had helped Moldova, jolted by violent protests after the Communists came first in April's election.
"I believe that Russia, in these difficult days which our country has had to live through, acted as the most sincere, most devoted friend," he said. "We should never forget this."
Vlad Filat, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, voiced confidence in an opposition victory: "Tomorrow Moldova will wake up a free and democratic country, it will be the end for the Communists."
PRESIDENT ACCUSES ROMANIA
Voronin said Romania, whose President Traian Basescu backs the opposition, was partly responsible for their poor ties.
Most of Moldova was once part of Romania and 800,000 residents have applied for or secured Romanian citizenship. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
UPDATE 2-Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions
also on reuters
Blog: Obama to engage in beer diplomacy
Sunbeds join cigarettes, arsenic as top cancer threat
Video
Video: Video games slide amid recession
More International News
Car bomb injures 46 at Spain barracks; ETA blamed
| Video
Gates, in Iraq, seeks to ease Kurd-Arab tensions
| Video
India PM defends move to improve ties with Pakistan
Iran says reformist to be released
Uighur leader says 10,000 went missing in one night
More International News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Sunbeds join cigarettes, arsenic as top cancer threat
Madoff: Can't believe fraud lasted so long
Key Republican says on "edge" of healthcare deal
Key Republican says on "edge" of US healthcare deal
Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership
U.S. states to get "significant" obesity money
Subprime mortgage companies warn on U.S. foreclosures
Car bomb injures 46 at Spain barracks; ETA blamed | Video
Swine flu striking pregnant women hard: CDC study
U.S. releases unclassified spy images of Arctic ice
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
US, China vow closer ties
Schwarzenegger slashes spending
Sotomayor wins Committee approval
Jackson doctor's house raided
Mudslide triggers China train wreck
Feds raid Jackson doctor's home
Iraq blasts and clashes
Spanish fire alert widens
Haitian migrant shipwreck kills 15
The US consumer and China
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.