You're reading: Moldova’s new president to be sworn in on March 23

CHISINAU - Moldova's President Elect Nicolae Timofti will be inaugurated on Friday, March 23.

Addressing reporters after the Constitutional Court confirmed him as head of state, Timofti said that his inauguration was likely to take place on March 23. "We have no time to waste. We should go through this procedure and get down to work," he said.

Timofti acknowledged that his being elected was a "great surprise" to him.

"I received an offer, we discussed the situation and I accepted," he said.

Timofti vowed to strictly observe the laws and the Constitution and voiced confidence that "none of the Alliance’s [Alliance for European Integration] parties will succeed in winning him over to its side".

"I hope that a period of political instability and confrontation between parties and the ruling coalition is over. I will do my best to stabilize the situation and prevent discord in the ruling coalition," he said.

On Friday, the Moldovan parliament elected Timofti, a 63-year-old former lawyer, the country’s new president by 62 votes out of 101, putting an end to a political crisis that lasted since April 2009.