Moldovan president cancels snap elections

CHISINAU

Moldovan President Igor Dodon on Tuesday called off snap elections as a political crisis in the ex-Soviet state lingers on.

Dodon told reporters that he had cancelled newly-appointed interim president Pavel Filip's decree on dissolving the parliament and calling snap elections on Sept. 6 as the move was unconstitutional.

Europe's poorest country had been without a government since elections in February. But last week the pro-EU and pro-Moscow blocs managed to form a coalition government, in an apparent move to bring down an oligarchy led by the former ruling Democratic Party.

On Sunday, the Constitutional Court suspended President Dodon and appointed Filip, a former Democratic Party prime minister, who called snap elections.

The decision was rejected by the parliament which claimed the Constitutional Court is tilted toward the Democratic Party.

*Writing by Can Erözden