Comrat Mayor leaves Gagauzia Executive as Governor calls it ‘a political mistake’

Nicolai Dudoglo, the Mayor of Comrat, decided to leave the Executive Committee of the Gagauzia autonomy, accusing Governor Mihail Formuzal of authoritarianism and inconsistency. At the same time, the governor termed Dudoglo’s move “a political mistake”. Dudoglo told Info-Prim Neo that he cannot come to terms with the governor, despite repeated attempts, because Formuzal is the type of person who “says something, but does its opposite”. He also accused Formuzal of trying to impose his own vision without listening to other voices and that the governor’s actions are inconsistent with the policy of the central authorities and of the People’s Assembly in Comrat. In retort, Mihail Formuzal issued a statement saying that Dudoglo’s vision on democracy is just oratory without facts to back it. As for the allegations about the inconsistency with the policy of Chisinau and People’s Assembly, the governor said that, even though he has always been in opposition to the ideology promoted by the central government and the majority in the Assembly, he cooperates with these authorities. Fears about the new governor entering into conflict with Chisinau are not actual anymore, Formuzal concluded. Political analyst Fiodor Angheli, a former Moldovan ambassador to Turkey, felt regret about the conflict, as Dudoglo and Formuzal are “two young politicians who can do something for the people”. At the same time, he said the situation was predictable, suggesting that the central government was behind it. The Communist Party would not have resigned itself to the disastrous defeat in the elections for Gagauzia governor in December 2006 and is now guiding itself by the principle ‘the worse for Gagauzia, the better for the ruling party’, said Fiodor Angheli, adding that the animosities in Comrat are directly linked to the upcoming legislative elections in the autonomy, due in March 2008.