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| Moldova students raid parliament | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Students in Moldova have attacked the country's parliament in protest at the governing Communist Party, which won the general election on Sunday. | Students in Moldova have attacked the country's parliament in protest at the governing Communist Party, which won the general election on Sunday. |
| Witnesses say crowds poured into the building through smashed ground-floor windows and shortly after hurled furniture out and set it alight. | |
| More than 30 people - both protesters and police officers - have been treated for injuries, medical officials said. | |
| President Vladimir Voronin's office said he would make a statement later. | |
| Tear gas and jets of water were blasted at protesters by security forces defending the parliament building. The presidential office was also attacked. | |
| Representatives of the opposition parties, are among the thousands of mainly young people protesting in the centre of the capital, Chisinau. | |
| They believe the elections result was fraudulent. | |
| The mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca, who is deputy head of the opposition Liberal Party, said the protests were justified "because people did not vote for the Communists in such large numbers". | |
| The Communists won 50% of votes in the election declared "fair" by observers. | The Communists won 50% of votes in the election declared "fair" by observers. |
| They were followed by the centre-right Liberal Party with almost 13% of the votes, and the Liberal Democratic Party with 12%. | |
| Reports from the country say local television stations are off-air and the national radio station is broadcasting folk music. | |
| No reports about the protest have been included in its radio news bulletins. | |
| Presidential successor | |
| President Vladimir Voronin is expected to step down on Tuesday after two terms in office. | President Vladimir Voronin is expected to step down on Tuesday after two terms in office. |
| He is barred by the constitution from running for a third, although he has indicated he wants to remain involved in the affairs of state. | He is barred by the constitution from running for a third, although he has indicated he wants to remain involved in the affairs of state. |
| Parliament will begin the process of electing his successor on Wednesday. The Communists have the biggest party in the new parliament but not sufficient votes to select the president alone. | |
| If no president is chosen before 8 June, another parliamentary election must be held. | |
| The pro-Western centre-right opposition parties have said they will not join a coalition with the Communists, who favour strong links with both Russia and the European Union. | |
| Mr Voronin's successor will lead the poorest country in Europe, where the average wage is just under $250 (£168) a month, and will inherit an unresolved conflict over the breakaway region of Trans-Dniester. | Mr Voronin's successor will lead the poorest country in Europe, where the average wage is just under $250 (£168) a month, and will inherit an unresolved conflict over the breakaway region of Trans-Dniester. |
| Correspondents say the dispute is reminiscent of the situation in South Ossetia before last summer's war between Georgia and Russia. | Correspondents say the dispute is reminiscent of the situation in South Ossetia before last summer's war between Georgia and Russia. |
| The region has run its own affairs, with Moscow's support, since the end of hostilities in a brief war in 1992. Mr Voronin resumed direct talks with Trans-Dniester last year. | |