Mircea Snegur, the first president of Moldova, passed away last night at the age of 83 after a prolonged illnessdigital media from that former Soviet republic nestled between Ukraine and Romania reported today.
An agronomist by profession, Snegur directed between 1978 and 1981 a scientific research institute of agricultural cultures in the city of Balti, the second in the country, where he began his career in the Communist Party of the Moldavian SSR (PCRSSM).
In 1985 he was appointed secretary of the Central Committee of the PCRSSM and four years later he became president of the Supreme Soviet of the republic.
In December 1991, in the midst of disintegration of the Soviet UnionSnegur, converted from a communist to a moderate nationalist, was elected president of the republic in direct elections boycotted by the opposition and to whom he went as single candidate.
He tried to renew his term in 1996, but was defeated in the second round by the then president of Parliament, Petru Lucinschi.