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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Moldova leader wants poll recount | Moldova leader wants poll recount |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Moldova's president has called for a full recount of disputed elections, bowing to a key demand of protesters who stormed the parliament on Tuesday. | Moldova's president has called for a full recount of disputed elections, bowing to a key demand of protesters who stormed the parliament on Tuesday. |
| President Vladimir Voronin asked the constitutional court to order a full recount of last Sunday's election, won by the ruling Communist Party. | President Vladimir Voronin asked the constitutional court to order a full recount of last Sunday's election, won by the ruling Communist Party. |
| Opposition leaders said the election result was fraudulent. | Opposition leaders said the election result was fraudulent. |
| Officials in Moldova and Russia accused Romania of fomenting the riots, but witnesses said they were spontaneous. | Officials in Moldova and Russia accused Romania of fomenting the riots, but witnesses said they were spontaneous. |
| "I am convinced that a complete recount of votes will become a major argument for maintaining political stability, peace and mutual trust in Moldova," Mr Voronin said in an official statement, quoted by the AFP news agency. | "I am convinced that a complete recount of votes will become a major argument for maintaining political stability, peace and mutual trust in Moldova," Mr Voronin said in an official statement, quoted by the AFP news agency. |
| Grinding poverty | Grinding poverty |
| Mr Voronin, in power since 2001, is governing a country where poverty has pushed a quarter of adults to work abroad. The global economic crisis threatens to aggravate Moldova's poverty as workers' remittances dry up. | Mr Voronin, in power since 2001, is governing a country where poverty has pushed a quarter of adults to work abroad. The global economic crisis threatens to aggravate Moldova's poverty as workers' remittances dry up. |
| The EU sent an envoy to Moldova to mediate in the dispute between President Voronin's Communist Party and the three centre-right opposition parties. | The EU sent an envoy to Moldova to mediate in the dispute between President Voronin's Communist Party and the three centre-right opposition parties. |
| Observers from the European security body, the OSCE, concluded that the vote had been generally fair, but opposition parties and many students accused the authorities of fraud. | Observers from the European security body, the OSCE, concluded that the vote had been generally fair, but opposition parties and many students accused the authorities of fraud. |
| They called for ballots to be recounted or the vote to be re-held. Before Friday the authorities had rejected that demand. | They called for ballots to be recounted or the vote to be re-held. Before Friday the authorities had rejected that demand. |
| The final election results released on Wednesday showed the Communist Party with 49.5% of the vote, winning 60 parliamentary seats. That is one seat less than the number required for the party to control the presidential election. | The final election results released on Wednesday showed the Communist Party with 49.5% of the vote, winning 60 parliamentary seats. That is one seat less than the number required for the party to control the presidential election. |
| Mr Voronin is due to step down, having served the maximum of two consecutive terms. | Mr Voronin is due to step down, having served the maximum of two consecutive terms. |
| Some of the young people who stormed the Moldovan parliament on Tuesday carried Romanian flags and even shouted "We are Romanians". | Some of the young people who stormed the Moldovan parliament on Tuesday carried Romanian flags and even shouted "We are Romanians". |
| But the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow says that any Romanian connection with the uprising is to do with economics, rather than politics. | But the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow says that any Romanian connection with the uprising is to do with economics, rather than politics. |
| Moldovans can see the success that Romania has enjoyed since throwing off communism and joining the European Union, he says. | Moldovans can see the success that Romania has enjoyed since throwing off communism and joining the European Union, he says. |
| On average, Romanians earn five times as much as their Moldovan neighbours. | On average, Romanians earn five times as much as their Moldovan neighbours. |
| The conclusion that many young Moldovans have come to is that a return to communist government and close friendship with Moscow has brought them nothing, our correspondent says. | The conclusion that many young Moldovans have come to is that a return to communist government and close friendship with Moscow has brought them nothing, our correspondent says. |