The Comrat Court’s decision whereby the decision of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia to hold two referendums in the region on February 2 are annulled does not contain an enforcement order and can be challenged by February 3.
IPN Agency asked the State Chancellery to provide explanations over the issue given that the politicians have different opinions about the further actions. Some say that the People’s Assembly must give up holding the referendums following the decision of the Comrat Court, while others say the given decision comes into force on February 3, if it’s not challenged.
Last November, the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia adopted two decisions, on the holding of a legislative referendum on the local population’s right to self-determination and on the holding of a consultative referendum containing two subjects: on joining the Russia – Belarus – Kazakhstan Customs Union, and on joining the European Union. Both of the plebiscites were scheduled for February 2.
The State Chancellery said the People’s Assembly took the given decisions in breach of the law and thus they were challenged in the Comrat Court. On December 5, the Court passed an irrevocable decision by which it suspended the decisions of the People’s Assembly. On January 3, the Comrat Court nullified the given decisions. This last decision can be appealed within 30 days.
In the debate, “Chances of a civilized dialogue between Chisinau and Comrat and its dangerous alternatives”, staged by IPN, Liberal-Democratic MP Valeriu Ghiletski said the People’s Assembly must stop the procedures for organizing the referendums following the decision passed by the Comrat Court. On the other hand, Communist MP Artur Reshetnikov and deputy of the People’s Assembly Fiodor Gagauz insisted that the court’s decision will take effect on February 3, if it’s not disputed.
In a TV program, the president of the Constitutional Court Alexandru Tanase said that no referendum will take place on February 2 as the Electoral Code stipulates exactly the conditions of holding a plebiscite and the issues that can be put up for a referendum, while what’s going on in Gagauzia is a political act.
