The Comrat Court of Appeals today has confirmed Yevgeniya Gutsul’s victory in the Gagauz gubernatorial election.

Outside the courtroom, the Shor Party held a rally in support of its candidate. “We understand that there is pressure, that the current government wants the elections to be cancelled, but the people of Gagauzia made the choice and we will not allow the center to impose its will on us. Our governor is Yevgeniya Gutsul”, said Alexandru Panov, president of the local Shor Party organization.

The first round of the gubernatorial election was held on April 30, and in the runoff a fortnight later Gutsul beat Grigori Uzun, the Socialist Party’s candidate, 27,374 to 24,926 votes.

The election was marked by controversy, as the National Anticorruption Center investigated alleged acts of vote buying by Gutsul’s campaign staff, as well as suspicions of dead people voting.