Moldovan government to stand down

Accusations of vote-rigging in Moldova led to a second poll

The government of Moldova is to resign ahead of the new parliament's first session, media reports say.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii at a government meeting, Russia's RIA news agency reports.

The resignation is expected to be formally handed in at a meeting of the newly elected parliament on Friday.

A new government, formed from a coalition of the four main opposition parties, will then be announced.

Moldova was forced to hold fresh elections in late July, after the Communists, who won an initial ballot in April, failed to gather enough seats to elect a new president, triggering a re-run.

The opposition coalition will need to find 61 votes, or three-fifths of the chamber, in order to elect a successor to Communist President Vladimir Voronin, who must step down after serving two terms.

The April election was followed by allegations of vote-rigging and demonstrations.

The Communist Party had governed Europe's poorest country since 2001.

According to Moldova's news agency, Infotag, there has been bitter wrangling between the coalition parties about whose candidate will become parliamentary speaker.

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