Communists on top in Moldova poll, but lose ground

CHISINAU, June 4 (Reuters) The Communist Party held first place in local elections at the weekend in Moldova, the only ex-Soviet state where communists still hold power, but lost ground to opponents, according to results released today.

Partial returns from the 900 councils elected yesterday gave the communists up to 33 per cent of the vote, enough for first place, but well below the 54 per cent it scored four years ago.

Running second with 14 per cent was the Our Moldova Party led by a former mayor of the capital, Chisinau.

Most contests, where no candidate won 50 per cent of the vote, will go to a run-off round in two weeks' time in what is statistically Europe's poorest country, with average monthly salaries of about 100 dollars.

In Chisinau, home to one in three of Moldova's 3.5 million people, Communist Veaceslav Iordan ran first with 28 per cent.

His run-off opponent, Dorin Chirtoaca of the Liberal party, which wants closer ties with adjacent Romania, had 24 per cent.

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin, re-elected by parliament to a second term in 2005, is the only elected Communist leader of a former Soviet republic.

He quarrelled for a time with Russia, alleging that the Kremlin was abetting separatists running Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region and said he wanted the country to press for long-term European Union membership.

But he has recently been more conciliatory towards Moscow.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe, two continent-wide rights groups, said yesterday's poll gave voters a true choice, but noted shortcomings in meeting international standards.

''There were a number of cases throughout the country where candidates faced pressure or dismissal or suspension from their jobs as a result of their political activities,'' the observers said in a statement.

Local election monitors were more critical.

Coalition-2007, bringing together several local rights groups, said baldly that the election ''did not meet international criteria in staging free and fair elections''.

REUTERS AM KN2334