Moldova leader calls snap parliamentary election for July 11

European Council President Charles Michel (R) receives visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 18, 2021. /Xinhua

Moldovan President Maia Sandu dissolved parliament on Wednesday and called a snap election for July 11, shortly after the country's Constitutional Court cancelled a state of emergency that lawmakers had approved.

"The Constitutional Court has opened the way for Moldovan citizens to elect a new parliament," Sandu told a televised briefing.

The state of emergency, intended to help combat a surge in COVID-19 infections, had prevented Sandu calling an election.

(With input from agencies)