Electoral authority steps in to schedule Gagauzia vote after local impasse
Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission stepped in on Tuesday to schedule regional elections in Gagauzia for Nov. 15, breaking a local legislative deadlock following the final conviction of former governor Evghenia Guțul.
The dual vote will coincide with elections for the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia (APG), the autonomous region's legislature. Central authorities intervened under the Electoral Code after local deputies failed to set a date during three consecutive sessions on August 17, August 26, and September 1, with the final attempt collapsing due to a lack of quorum.
Statutory deadlines and institutional intervention
Under Moldovan law, regional snap elections must take place within three months of an executive vacancy, with the date formally established at least 80 days before polling day. When local authorities fail to meet statutory deadlines, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) is legally empowered to set the date at least 75 days prior to the ballot.
“The commission recommended scheduling the election for November 15, the same date set for the People’s Assembly vote,” said CEC Deputy Chairman Pavel Postica during Tuesday's commission meeting. “The People’s Assembly was notified that failing an agreement within statutory deadlines, the central authority would step in. We received no response prior to this decision.”
The office of the governor, traditionally known as the Bashkan, became vacant following the final criminal conviction of Evghenia Guțul, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for illegal financing related to the outlawed Șor Party. Comrat regional authorities formally acknowledged the vacancy on August 17.
Political interference claims and regulatory rebuttal
The scheduling triggered friction between national regulators and local leaders. APG Speaker Valentin Gaidarji accused the electoral authority of political interference, alleging that Postica pressured him during a phone conversation to renounce his affiliation with the Home Building Europe Party (PACE) and run as an independent candidate.
“Pavel Postica called me today and told me to leave PACE and run as an independent,” Gaidarji said. “According to him, that is the only way I could participate in the regional election.”
Postica dismissed the accusations, explaining that his discussions with prospective candidates focus exclusively on statutory compliance. Moldovan political party regulations require organizations to register updated leadership registries with the Public Services Agency.
“My role is strictly to explain the rules governing electoral participation,” Postica told public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova. “The electoral commission ensures fair, uniform conditions for all contenders, particularly political parties.”
Postica added that out of 66 officially registered political parties in Moldova, only 37 met the statutory filing criteria for the Gagauz legislative race, leaving non-compliant affiliates with independent candidacies as their only lawful path to the ballot.
Electoral code reforms and constitutional review
The mandate of the outgoing People’s Assembly expired in November 2025, leaving the southern autonomy without a seated legislative mandate or an executive leader. The electoral process resumed after parliament passed targeted Electoral Code amendments on August 25, subsequently promulgated by President Maia Sandu on August 26.
The legislative revisions encountered resistance in Comrat, where the APG Presidium issued a statement criticizing the changes to the local assembly's electoral system. Concurrently, the parliamentary opposition in Chișinău petitioned the Constitutional Court, challenging a newly introduced statutory requirement making Romanian language proficiency mandatory for all candidates seeking the office of Bashkan.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
