Chisinau and Comrat MPs take first steps to address Gagauzia’s electoral crisis
The elections in Gagauzia cannot be held on June 21. However, after today's meeting of the two working groups, Comrat and Chisinau have made progress towards resolving the political crisis.
The meeting between the working groups from Chisinau and Comrat was held at the Presidency's premises. Both sides were represented by deputies from the Parliament and the People's Assembly of Gagauzia (PAG). The discussions also included the Vice-President of the Central Electoral Commission, Pavel Postica.
"We have outlined the topics that will be discussed and included in the normative act—the decision that the People's Assembly of Gagauzia (PAG) will adopt. However, I want to emphasize that we have only defined the general lines. Now, we will prepare the document, and we will address the details during the week," said Gheorghe Leicu, Vice-President of the PAG.
According to MP Larisa Voloh, it is important for Chisinau to harmonize electoral law norms in the autonomy with the national Electoral Code.
“We will take into account the peculiarities of the Gagauz electoral system. For example, we need to consider knowledge of the Gagauz language, the age limit for candidates for elective positions, and the required period of residence in Gagauzia for voters,” Larisa Voloh noted.
The elections for PAG deputies are officially scheduled for June 21. This date was set in Comrat, but PAG Vice-President Gheorghe Leicu confirmed that organizing the elections by that date will be impossible.
“Most candidates need at least two months to collect signatures and complete other actions related to preparing for and participating in the elections, including electoral campaigning. This is already impossible to achieve. Additionally, we need to factor in one month for organizational work on the part of the CEC,” Gheorghe Leicu explained.
It is still unclear when the deputies will cancel the decision regarding the election date. Last week, PAG President Nicolai Ormanji stated that the commission would develop a provisional document (with a single application) valid only for conducting elections in the APG of Gagauzia. This document will be sent to the local deputies for approval.
On April 29, the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the PAG’s appeal and upheld the Sud Court of Appeal's decision regarding the suspension of three decisions related to the organization of regional elections in the autonomy.
