The newly elected Parliament of the Moldova Republic holds its first session on Tuesday, Itar-Tass informs. The institution will choose its president today and will set the term for the presidential elections. Vladimir Voronin seems to be the main candidate for the Parliament speaker office.

"Vladimir Voronin, leader of the ruling Party of Communists and President of Moldova, is referred to as the main candidate for the position of Speaker of Parliament. Voronin, who is about to complete his second and last presidential term of office, has already stated, "Upon leaving the presidential office I intend to focus on work in parliament", emphasizing that "Moldova is a parliamentary republic".

As a result of the parliamentary elections, held in April, the Communists gained 60 out of 101 seats in parliament, which enables them to elect the leading officials of parliament and form a government. Sixty-one votes are necessary to elect a Head of State. The Communists will have to win the backng of any one member of parliament from among the three opposition parties that entered parliament -- the Liberal and Liberal-Democratic parties, and the Our Moldova Alliance. The leaders of those three parties threatened that they would boycott the presidential polls in order to secure an early election. If the parliament fails to elect a Head of State after two attempts, it shall be dissolved", Itar-Tass informs.