Moldovan parliament dissolved, July 29 poll called

By Dmitry Chubashenko

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's outgoing President, Vladimir Voronin, dissolved parliament on Monday, called an early election to the chamber and warned voters that opposition parties wanted to sow chaos in the former Soviet state.

Voronin announced the July 29 election on state television, issuing a decree in accordance with Moldova's constitution after parliament twice failed to endorse his choice of successor in the aftermath of an April election to the assembly.

In office since 2001, Voronin cannot run for a third term in his country, which lies between ex-Soviet Ukraine and European Union member Romania.

His Communist party finished far ahead in an April parliamentary election, but the outcome sparked violent protests by young people angry at the prospect of the party remaining in power.

"I have issued a decree for the dissolution of parliament," he said. "The atmosphere for this election is much worse than it was before the April election. The opposition wants destabilisation, chaos and the defeat of Moldova."

The key element in the forthcoming poll, he said, would be "the victory of our statehood".

"Only then can we restore to our citizens a belief in tomorrow, the will to move towards European integration and the right to restore unity in our homeland," he said.

The Communists in April fell short of the 61 seats needed to ensure election of a president by the chamber's 101 deputies.