The possibility of fresh parliamentary elections in Moldova appeared a step closer after an attempt by parliament to elect a head of state failed, mainly because of an opposition boycott that the opposition said that they would repeat in the next round of voting on May 28 2009.
 
Communist prime minister Zinaida Greceanii missed being appointed by just one vote, Moldovan and international media reports said.
 
If the May 28 attempt fails, acting president Vladimir Voronin would be required by the constitution to call a new parliamentary election.
 
Moldova’s April 2009 parliamentary elections were alleged by opposition parties to have been rigged. The outcome, that gave the communists 60 seats and opposition parties collectively 41, saw riots in which students attacked the presidential and parliamentary buildings.
 
Police were alleged to have been brutal in acting against the students.
 
Radio Free Europe said that ahead of the May 20 voting in parliament, leaders of opposition parties, broadly pro-Romanian and favouring closer links to the European Union, walked out of the sitting, demanding new paraliementary elections.

Voronin has alleged that Romania was behind the unrest against the April parliamentary election results, describing the protests as an "attempted coup"
 
On May 19, the European Union’s External Relations Council concluded a meeting with a statement including a call for political dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition, with the aim of negotiating a viable solution to the political crisis in Moldova.
 
The EU foreign ministers said that an "an independent and transparent investigation" of human rights violations and the events of April 7 was of key importance.
 
It expressed full support for the work of the Council of Europe in this regard, the statement said.
 
The ministers said that there was a need for rapid normalisation of relations of the Republic of Moldova and towards Romania.
 
"The EU has taken a leading role in trying to initiate a political process between the government and the opposition, with a view to negotiating a viable solution to the crisis that followed the parliamentary elections," the statement said.