Narrow lead for pro-Western parties in Moldovan election

MOLDOVA'S pro-Western parties said they would forge an alliance after winning a narrow lead in the parliamentary elections – a stinging setback to Europe's last communist-run government.

Preliminary results from a close parliamentary vote in the former Soviet republic gave four centre-right opposition parties a slim lead over the ruling Communist Party.

With 75 per cent of the vote counted, the opposition had 49.5 per cent to the Communists' 46 per cent.

Officials said the gap could grow as more ballots cast in the capital, Chisinau, were tallied.

And the opposition could get another boost from three parties whose votes will be redistributed because they didn't reach the 5 per cent minimum needed to enter parliament.

Deputy chairman of opposition Liberal Democratic Party Alexandru Tanase said: "The conclusion is that the Communist Party lost the elections after an exhausting campaign."

Despite the opposition's gains, it appeared to fall short of gaining enough seats in the assembly to elect a successor to outgoing President Vladimir Voronin, meaning it will have to negotiate with the Communists.