Moldovan ex-president Vladimir Voronin was barred on Tuesday by the country's Constitutional Court from future participation in presidential polls.
The court ruled that a person who has served as president for two consecutive terms can not run for a third term in the future.
The impoverished former Soviet republic has not had a full-fledged president since Communist Voronin finished his second term last year. Parliamentary elections in April and July last year left no political force strong enough to secure the 61 votes in the 101-seat chamber to elect a new president.
Acting President Mihai Ghimpu and his pro-Western government see direct presidential elections as a way past the parliamentary deadlock.
Ghimpu has been Moldova's acting president since September 11, when Voronin stepped down after serving two consecutive four-year presidential terms.
Ghimpu, who leads the Liberal Party, has in the past openly supported unification with Romania, and earlier issued an order to annul a visa regime with Romania introduced by the Communist government after post-election riots in the capital Chisinau in April.
CHISINAU, August 3 (RIA Novosti)
