Parliamentary hopefuls intimidated in Gagauzia, European Action leaders claim

The social-political movement “Actiunea Europeana” (MAE) claims the candidates for the Gagauz legislature are intimidated. On Wednesday, February 27, the movement’s leaders told a news conference that one of their candidates, working for a public institution, had been menaced to be dismissed, unless he gave up running in the elections, Info-Prim Neo reports. At the same time, the MAE leaders remark the lack of interest for the Gagauz poll on behalf of the central authorities and media. Asked to opine on the possible reason of such an attitude, the movement’s leader, Anatol Petrencu, said the Communists Party had lost from its positions in Gagauzia and had no more interest to pay enhanced attention to this race. „The Communists have run out of attractive elements for electoral programs and try to re-conquer the positions by menacing and intimidating. The same happened at the poll in Rezina,” Petrencu added. According to the MAE’s deputy president, Ion Neagu, in the elections for the Gagauz People’s Assembly, the fight will be waged by three unofficial “clans.” It’s the “group” of the bashkan (governor), the one of the Comrat mayor and the one of the local parliament speaker. Ion Neagu complains of the restrictive legislation, allowing only people aged over 20 to run for seats, as they shall also prove they have lived in their constituency not less than three years. This is preventing politicians and independent wannabes to run in other places, even though coming from the Gagauz autonomy, Neagu explained. MAE’s candidates compete in 5 constituencies. At the press conference, one of them forecasted the results would differ at different constituencies, but the political situation would not change per se. The elections for the Gagauz People’s Assembly are scheduled for March 16. The candidates that will secure a majority number of votes (50% + 1 vote) in the first round will become members of the Peoples’ Assembly. The first two candidates within the constituencies, who’ll poll a maximum number of votes, will compete in the second round.