Moldova’s veteran Communist president on Wednesday suffered a big blow to his authority when cracks appeared in his party’s ranks as parliament rejected his bid to secure the appointment of a hand-picked successor in a vote that seems certain to trigger early parliamentary elections.

Vladimir Voronin, who is obliged to stand down after serving two terms, failed on Wednesday in a second attempt to persuade parliament to approve the appointment of Zinaida Greceanii, the prime minister, as the new president. Meanwhile, Marian Lupu, a leading reformist Communist MP, threatened to quit the party saying – in a thinly disguised attack on Mr Voronin – that it needed to be “more democratic”.