Moldovan president suspended, snap election called as crisis deepens
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A Moldovan court temporarily relieved President Igor Dodon of his duties on Sunday to allow a stand-in to call a snap election, deepening a standoff between rival political parties over the formation of a new government after months of deadlock.

Dodon’s replacement, former prime minister Pavel Filip, immediately announced a snap election for September, while thousands of supporters of Filip’s party rallied in the capital, Chisinau.

The crisis threatens more instability in one of Europe’s smallest and poorest nations of 3.5 million people, where entrenched corruption and low living standards have pushed many citizens to emigrate to Russia or wealthier European countries.

Dodon’s Russian-backed Socialist party had on Saturday announced it was forming a coalition government with the pro-European Union ACUM bloc, an unlikely alliance designed to keep a party run by tycoon Vladimir Plahotniuc out of power.

Plahotniuc’s Democratic Party of Moldova said the new administration had tried to usurp power at Russia’s behest, criticizing Dodon’s refusal to dissolve parliament after parties missed a court-mandated June 7 deadline to form a government.