Postica: Elections in Gagauzia May Take Place in the Summer but There Is a Condition

The Vice-Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, Pavel Postica, stated that parliamentary elections in Gagauzia could be held this summer if the authorities in Comrat are able to overcome the institutional crisis that has arisen. “The situation has reached an impasse because a number of political figures in the autonomous region and members of the People’s Assembly have failed to bring regional legislation into line with the Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova, which came into force in 2023 throughout the country, with the exception of Gagauzia. The CEC prioritizes the interests of approximately 130,000 voters in the autonomous region, whose rights to elect a representative body have effectively been affected,” Postica said in an interview with Europa Libera, according to tvrmoldova.md. Postica noted that there are several scenarios for resolving the situation. “Despite ongoing dialogue with the National Assembly, the problem is complicated by the fact that its mandate has already expired, which means that the body can no longer adopt normative acts or amend electoral legislation, limiting itself to administrative decisions. At the same time, technically, it can still set the date for elections and form an electoral body,” Postica said. “An additional complication was that the mandate of the previous regional election commission expired on 9 February, so a new commission must be appointed. If the People’s Assembly is unable to reach a decision, the CEC may use the intervention mechanisms provided for by law, and in extreme cases, the issue may be resolved by the country’s parliament through legislative changes,” he added. The Vice-Chair of the CEC expressed hope that the latter scenario would not come to pass and that the parties would be able to reach a compromise. He clarified that the CEC has the right to appoint only a temporary chairperson and secretary of the regional electoral body and only during the election campaign. The full formation of the commission is possible only if the parliament changes the legislation. “A realistic timeframe for holding elections is this summer, provided that the autonomous authorities complete all the necessary legal procedures and set a date for voting. A legal act will also be required to clarify the priority of national electoral legislation over regional regulations, with the exception of the specific features of organizing regional elections,” Postica concluded.