The re-elected Gagauz Governor (Bashkan) Mihail Formuzal, massively used the Russian factor in his campaign to win extra votes, despite not being a true pro-Russia politician, stated Anna Harlamenko, the head of the Gagauz People's Assembly and also a supporter of Formuzal's challenger Nikolai Dudoglo. “This speculation had a great impact and influenced the outcome of the election. We in Gagauzia hold the Russian language in great esteem and many of our people are working in Russia. And only Formuzal was so unprincipled as to use this speculation to his advantage, in a cynic and brazen manner”, declared Anna Harlamenko, adding that Formuzal was not really a pro-Russia politician, since he was unwilling to support many of the initiatives promoted by Dudoglo and herself, like the proclamation of Russian as an official language in the Gagauz autonomy. Harlamenko in particular referred to a diploma that Formuzal received in Moscow, whose copies were disseminated during the campaign across Gagauzia containing “false and cynic” promises. Several days ahead of the gubernatorial election in late December, Mihail Formuzal traveled to Moscow, where the Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Naryshkin awarded him a diploma of honor in recognition of Formuzal's merits in the promotion of the Russo-Moldovan relationship. Mihail Formuzal won the election by a narrow margin from Nikolai Dudoglo: 51.38% to 48.62%. Dudoglo and his supporters have challenged the outcome, considering it rigged.