Moldova official: No separate Gagauzia election body
The creation of a separate Central Electoral Commission (CEC) for the Gagauzia autonomy is unjustified; the Republic of Moldova cannot accommodate two such bodies, stated CEC Vice-President Pavel Postica during the "360 Degrees" broadcast on Radio Moldova.
He explained that during the amendment process of the Electoral Code, central authorities consulted with representatives of the People's Assembly. Following these discussions, the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia was introduced into legislation precisely to avoid establishing a parallel structure.
However, the CEC Vice-President emphasized that the central authorities' proposal was for the Gagauzia Electoral Council's ongoing activities to be funded by the state budget. Yet, the People's Assembly rejected this option, citing certain, and likely political, reasons.
"What were the People's Assembly's reasons for dissolving this permanent body? That's their concern; they're currently involved in a court case before the Supreme Court of Justice. Ultimately, they cited financial reasons. When we discussed drafting the Electoral Code and funding the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia, we proposed that this Council's ongoing operations, as part of Moldova's electoral bodies, be financed by the state budget, and they refused. So, from my perspective, there are other arguments here than those officially invoked publicly. They did not want to fully integrate into the overall electoral framework of the Republic of Moldova," said Pavel Postica.
Should the People's Assembly of UTA Gagauzia insist on changing the name, Pavel Postica stressed that this falls under the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova's jurisdiction, not the CEC's.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
