The Moldovan parliament on Friday approved a new government headed by veteran career diplomat Iurie Leanca as prime minister to end the politically volatile ex-Soviet state’s latest political crisis.
Fifty-seven out of 101 deputies in parliament voted to approve the appointment of Leanca as prime minister with the backing of a new pro-EU liberal ruling party coalition in a vote boycotted by the opposition Communists.
The vote in the early hours of the morning came after President Nicolae Timofti urged deputies to “join forces, set aside personal ambitions and form a government which will allow Moldova to overcome crisis and continue a path of European integration.”
The new government contains five new ministers but the rest are unchanged from the previous ruling liberal coalition.
The former ruling coalition broke up in March after a vote of no confidence by parliament which was prompted by a series of corruption scandals involving senior officials.
The turmoil first erupted when details emerged of a bizarre New Year’s hunting incident that prosecutors had initially tried to hush up.
Prominent businessman Sorin Paciu was accidentally shot dead while on a hunting trip with top officials who included prosecutors and judges.
Moldova — a Romanian-speaking state that borders Romania and Ukraine — has battled for stability since the fall of the USSR and also does not control the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr.
Moldova approves new PM to end crisis
