Moldova's government formally resigns

With just 48 seats, July's elections saw the ruling Communist Party losing their majority and the emergence of a pro-Europe alliance, made up of four opposition parties which took 53 seats in the 101 member house.

The new parliament now needs to elect a new president, but with 61 votes required and the outgoing Communist leader Vladimir Voronin failing to hold talks with the coalition, the process of forming a government could be derailed before it has even started.

The ruling coalition, however, has enough seats to elect a parliamentary speaker, but the communists led by Voronin as acting president, who is due to step down after two terms in office, have enough votes to block any presidential candidate leading to the dissolution of Parliament and new elections.

Under the Moldovan constitution, however, Parliament can only be dissolved twice in a year which rules out any more elections until 2010 following polls that were held earlier in April.

This would hand Voronin the acting presidential post with Zinaida Greceanii staying on as interim prime minister until new elections could be held next year.

The Communists won 60 seats in the April election, which triggered violent protests in the capital, Chisinau.

The opposition twice blocked the election of the presidential candidate proposed by Voronin leading to the July 29 polls.