A student holds a Romanian flag in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, April 14 2009, during a protest by Romanian and Moldovan students against what they claim is the repression conducted by Moldovan authorities. AP CHISINAU (Reuters) - Officials in Moldova on Wednesday began recounting more than 1.5 million ballots cast in the former Soviet republic's disputed election in which a Communist victory sparked violent protests.

The Constitutional Court ordered the recount at the request of President Vladimir Voronin, who said it could boost trust in the country wedged between Romania and Ukraine after demonstrators ransacked public buildings last week.

But the liberal, pro-Western opposition, accused by the president of plotting a coup in the protests, was boycotting the recount on grounds that it would produce nothing new.

Officials, escorted by police, carried ballots across Moldova, to be counted at more than 2,000 polling stations.

With each polling station due to count about 1,500 votes, the process was expected to be complete by mid-afternoon. The procedure was expected to take a little longer in villages in Europe's poorest country.

The Constitutional Court is to issue a ruling on the recount no later than April 21.

Results in the April 5 poll gave the communists 49.48 percent of the vote and 60 seats -- one short of the number needed to ensure victory for their candidate when parliament chooses the president.

Three opposition parties, broadly pro-Romanian in outlook, scored a combined total of 35.34 percent and won 41 seats. Turnout stood at about 60 percent.

Opposition parties demand a new election. They say their concern is fraud with voters' lists which they allege contain the names of dead voters and Moldovans working abroad but unable to come back into the country to vote.

Voronin says the protests by young demonstrators were part of a plot to seize power and fomented by Romania, which shares a cultural and linguistic heritage with Moldova.

Romania denies the charges. Romanian President Traian Basescu accused Moldovan authorities on Tuesday of violating human rights in the aftermath of the unrest.

About 200 people were detained by police. At least one person died in the upheaval -- the authorities said of smoke inhalation, while opposition groups said the victim was beaten.

Voronin, Europe's only Communist leader, has long called for further integration with the West while preserving Moldova's longstanding ties with Russia. In power since 2001, he cannot run for a third term, but wants to keep a decision-making role.

He has moved closer to Moscow in recent years and praised the Kremlin's efforts at resolving an 18-year-old separatist rebellion in Russian-speaking Transdnieistria, one of the former Soviet Union's "frozen conflicts".