Gagauz appeal to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia is a political act and can't be disputed in constitutional court, political thinkers say

The appeal of the People's Assembly of the Gagauz autonomy urging Moldova's Parliament to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is not a legal act, but a political one, and thus may not be disputed in a constitutional court. The appeal contradicts the Moldovan government's position on the conflict in Georgia and on the recognition of the two breakaway republics, a number of Moldovan political analysts think, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. [Analyst Arcadie Barbarosie, director of the Public Policy Institute (IPP)] thinks that as long as it's just an appeal, the Moldovan Parliament shouldn't necessarily react. The legislature can equally formulate a position on this document or simply ignore it. According to Barbarosie, the appeal of the Gagauz legislative body demonstrates once again that the public opinion in Moldova is largely shaped by the Russian media, which offered no alternative views on the conflict in Georgia. If the Moldovans were asked today “Was Russia right to stand up for the Ossetians?”, up to 70 percent of them would answer affirmatively, the analyst believes. [Oazu Nantoi, program director with IPP] thinks that the legislative framework in Moldova is not sufficiently ample to determine the status and the powers of Gagauzia. The Law on Gaguzia's Status, adopted in 1994, doesn't ensure the functionality of the autonomy and the integration of its people into the Moldovan society. So, the autonomy lives in a state of isolation which has fostered certain stereotypes, says Oazu Nantoi. The appeal was launched in the spirit of the events meant to discomfort those who conduct negotiations on the Transnistria issue, especially President Vladimir Voronin, believes [Viorel Cibotaru, executive director of the European Institute for Political Studies in Moldova]. Amid these events, the Moldovan government must be very prudent, the analyst concludes. [Eugen Revenco, director of the Moldovan-Lithuanian Foundation “European Integration Study Center”] says that the Gagauz appeal comes ahead of the Parliament's debates on the events in Georgia. “Unfortunately, the Moldovan authorities have inadequately addressed the subject of the Georgian war”, says Revenco. According to him, the fact of recognizing the two republics is not as important as the capacity of the states to ensure rights and assume responsibilities. The Gagauz People's Assembly launched on September 19 an appeal to the President and Parliament of Moldova asking them to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent and sovereign states. The Assembly assured the peoples of the two republics of its support “in their righteous fight for freedom and independence, aspiration for peace and stability”. The Assembly considers the decision of the Russian Federation to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as a wise and the only right decision. “The Republic of Moldova, which demonstrated wisdom and understanding in settling the 'Gagauz issue', thus showing its attachment to the policy of respecting the right of the small peoples to self-determination, has an opportunity today to contribute to strengthening peace and stability in the Caucasian region”, the Assembly's appeal reads. The appeal was signed by 18 out of 35 Gagauz law-makers, with the Communist faction voting against.