Vote under way, 3 months after violent protests, Voronin reax

(29 Jul 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Man walks up steps into polling station to vote
2. Various of man having ID checked, voting
3. Communist Party leader and outgoing president Vladimir Voronin arrives to vote
4. Close up of Voronin
5. Voronin walking with ballot paper in his hand
6. Man filming Voronin on his mobile phone
7. Voronin places his ballot paper in the box
8. Close up of paper going into box, tilt up
10. Ballot station sign
11. Vorodin surrounded by media
12. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Vladimir Voronin, Communist Party leader and outgoing Moldovan president: (responding to question whether he thought there might be a repeat of the April protests)
"I do not think that we need to go through this type of scenario again and I do not think that Moldova could put up with such a similar occurrence for a second time. I do not believe that this type of act of vandalism has really had any great impact on the psychology or conscience of the majority of citizens of my country."
13. Media cutaway
14. Vorodin walks away
15. Electoral Commission members arrive at polling station
16. International Monitor (in suit) inspects polling station
17. Various of woman voting
18. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Proskovia Zacharovna, local resident:
"I always vote and I'm voting today for peace between people and for an end to the conflict between them."
19. Streets outside polling station
STORYLINE:
Three months after accusations of government vote-rigging touched off street violence, Moldovans began voting on Wednesday in parliamentary elections that could shift the former Soviet republic's focus away from Russia and toward the European Union.
Polls suggested the ruling Communist Party was leading with about 31 percent, but analysts said four pro-European parties could win a combined 33 percent and form an alliance to elect the impoverished country's next president and move the country toward the West.
Moldova has been in political paralysis since 5 April parliamentary elections sparked violent protests, with the opposition claiming the balloting was rigged.
At least three people were killed and hundreds of others arrested after protesters stormed parliament and the offices of President Vladimir Voronin.
The Communist Party, led by Voronin, who has been president since 2001, took the most votes in April's election but failed to win enough parliamentary seats to elect a successor.
After the April protests, opposition parties boycotted the vote in parliament for a new leader.
Twice, lawmakers failed to vote in a president.
That led to parliament being dissolved, which in turn triggered the latest elections.
Voronin - a former baker known for keeping a bust of Lenin on his desk and a painting of the former Soviet leader on the wall - is not eligible to run again.
He has served two consecutive four-year terms as president, the maximum allowed under the constitution, though he is still expected to retain influence in parliament.
Voronin cast his ballot on Wednesday in the capital, Chisinau.
When asked if he expected the April events would have an impact on the elections, the outgoing president said he did not believe that "this type of act of vandalism has really had any great impact on the psychology or conscience of the majority of citizens of my country".
Although few expect a repeat of April's violence - in part because a harsh crackdown has intimidated many opposition supporters - tensions were running high ahead of the nationwide vote.
In an effort to discourage any attempts at vote fraud, more than three thousand international and Moldovan observers were monitoring the elections.

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