The People’s Assembly of Gagauzia has developed the final version of a draft decision on the organization of the upcoming legislative elections in Comrat. The document is to be submitted for approval at the People’s Assembly meeting on June 2, and the provisions will be applied only for this election, reports the IPN correspondent in Gagauzia.
The draft decision provides that the terms “Central Electoral Commission of Gagauzia” and “Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia” are recognized as equivalent and can be used in official documents to ensure the integration of regional structures into the national electoral system.
The difference in the name of the electoral body of Gagauzia was previously a reason for challenging in the courts the decisions of the People’s Assembly regarding the date of the elections and the establishment of the electoral commission. In the documents of the Assembly, this body was called the “Central Electoral Commission”, while in the Electoral Code it appears with the name “Central Electoral Council”.
At the same time, the decision stipulates that the act cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the powers or special legal status of Gagauzia, rights protected by the Constitution and the Law on the Special Status of Gagauzia.
It is separately stated that the norms of the Law on the special legal status of Gagauzia, which regulate the manner of designating and organizing elections, as well as the establishment of the central electoral body of the region, have priority in resolving legal disputes.
According to the document, the central electoral body in Comrat will consist of nine members. Three candidates will be proposed by the People’s Assembly, three – by the Executive Committee of Gagauzia, and another three – by the Comrat Court. All candidates will have to pass the checks provided for by the legislation on the status and verification of persons aspiring to public office.
The draft provides that litigious or unforeseen situations arising in the process of organizing the 2026 elections will be regulated by explanatory decisions of the Central Electoral Commission in Comrat.
After approval, the document will be submitted to the Parliament and the Central Electoral Commission. It was developed following a series of consultations between the authorities in Comrat and Chisinau, amid legal disputes related to previous decisions of the People’s Assembly on setting the election date and establishing the electoral body.
