Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Wednesday he was prepared to call another election within three or four months for the sake of stability if February’s poll produces a hung parliament. Surveys suggest that the Socialists, who favor friendlier ties with Russia, will emerge with most seats on Feb. 24 vote, but may not secure a majority or be able to form a coalition. The current pro-Western governing coalition may not be resurrected as its leader, the Democratic Party, is tainted by corruption scandals. “In the event that the parties fail to agree on the establishment of a ruling coalition and the formation of a new government, I, as president will … call for early elections to be held as soon as possible,” Dodon told Reuters in an interview.
Moldova, a small country squeezed between the European Union and Ukraine, is politically divided between the Socialist party, which Dodon led before becoming president, and the ruling coalition.
It plunged into crisis in 2014 after $1 billion, around an eighth of its economic output, was pilfered from three banks. Separately, allegations of rigging in the Chisinau mayoral race in 2018 prompted the European Union to freeze aid.
Full Article: If election is not decisive, I’ll call another, Moldova’s president says | Reuters.