Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi on Thursday vetoed a law that would end direct presidential elections.

Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi on Thursday vetoed a law that would end direct presidential elections and allow parliament to elect the head of state saying he refused to be turned into a puppet. Parliament voted overwhelmingly this month to change the constitution to end direct presidential elections and allow the head of state to be elected by parliament. Only a handful of deputies opposed the bill in the assembly, which has blocked Lucinschi's initiatives since his 1996 election. Mustering a two-thirds majority to counter Lucinschi's veto appears easy. But Lucinschi said Moldova, a country wedged between Ukraine and Romania, was gripped by a constitutional crisis and called on deputies not to override his veto. The president called for a referendum on November 5, putting to voters two drafts for constitutional change - a parliamentary draft and a presidential version. Lucinschi had been due to run for re-election in December. He would be favourite in any popular vote, but stands little chance of winning an election in parliament. He said parliament's moves contradicted the outcome of a consultative referendum held last year in which a large majority of Moldovans backed his proposal to extend presidential powers. Parliament later blocked the changes. Moldova is one of the poorest former Soviet republics, with average monthly salaries equivalent to about $30. It has been plagued by political instability, with four governments in office since Lucinschi came to power.