Moldova's Parliament Speaker Mihai Ghimpu was appointed acting president on Friday, following the designation of the incumbent President Vladimir Voronin.

Ghimpu was supported by the votes of 52 MPs of the four-party liberal Coalition for the position, but opposed by the Communist Party, the biggest faction and the only opposition of the 101-seatparliament.

The decision was submitted to the Constitutional Court, so that it confirms the circumstances justifying the temporary holding of the post of Moldova's president.

According to the Constitution, the legality of this decision shall be decided on by the Constitutional Court, and only afterwards Ghimpu shall exercise the competence of the acting President.

Nevertheless, the Communists said that they would not recognize Ghimpu as head of state till the court delivers its decision.

Ghimpu told the mass media that the principal task for him is to implement the coalition's program, while the office of head of state is a temporary one.

Vladimir Voronin on Friday morning announced his resignation in the wake of the recent election defeat that ended his Communist Party's eight-year control of the country.

Voronin, the leader of the Communist Party, has been Moldova's president since 2001, and cannot run for a third four-year term.

The new parliament was elected in a snap poll on July 29 and is made up of 48 representatives of the Party of Communists, 18 of the Liberal Democratic Party, 15 of the Liberal Party, 13 of the Democratic Party and seven of the Our Moldova Alliance. The latter four parties signed early August a declaration on setting up a governing coalition.

The parliament members are scheduled to set a date for the presidential election, but the president still has no clear successor, amidst a continued deadlock in parliament, where a three-fifths majority is needed to elect a new head of state. If no candidate gains the support of at least 61 lawmakers, the parliament risks being dissolved.

Source: Xinhua