Moldova's constitutional court today confirmed the results of last month's parliamentary election, which gave pro-Western parties the upper hand over the incumbent Communist Party in Europe's poorest nation.
Four opposition parties have formed a coalition on a platform of moving closer to the European Union and have 53 seats in parliament - enough to form a government but too few to vote through their choice of president.
This may prove problematic for the Liberal Democratic, Liberal and Democratic parties and Our Moldova Alliance, which are trying to pull Moldova out of a months-long political stalemate as an economic crisis hits the tiny nation.
"The snap election in Moldova on July 29th has been confirmed in law. The decision of the Constitutional court of August 14th about the final results of the elections is final and is not subject to appeal," Court Chairman Dumitru Pulbere said.
Outgoing president Vladimir Voronin must now set a date for the first sitting of the assembly. He called the snap poll after his Communists, victorious in an election in April, failed by one vote to endorse their candidate for president.
The first sitting of parliament, expected to be on August 28th, will kick-start the procedure for forming a new government and electing a president to replace Mr Voronin, who cannot stand for a third consecutive term.
The coalition, calling itself the Alliance for European Integration, needs to woo at least eight Communists to secure their candidate for the post - as yet unnamed. Analysts say the parties seem instead to be fighting over government posts and there are no Communists to negotiate with as they are on their summer break.
If the coalition does succeed in installing its president, it may try to bring the nation of 4.3 million, bordering EU member Romania and Ukraine, closer to Europe and away from former Soviet master Russia.
But it will also have to cope with an economic crisis - the economy is expected to shrink by 9 per cent as remittances fall, and try to resolve a lengthy dispute with its breakaway Transdniestria region, where Russia has a military presence.
Reuters