The Party of Action and Solidarity didn’t manage to create a strong local organization in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia and therefore does not have a candidate for the April 30 Bashkan election there, said PAS MP Adrian Cheptonar. According to him, the ruling party could not identify a candidate for the post of Bashkan owing to the particularities of the region. For his part, ex-MP Octavian Țîcu said the absence of a pro-European candidate in the election in Gagauzia is a failure of the forces of the right, IPN reports.
Representatives of the government admitted that the PAS didn’t manage to identify a powerful candidate for the election in Gagauzia. PAS MP Adrian Cheptonar said the election that is to be held in Gagauzia this Sunday can fail due to the low voter turnout.
“Regrettably, owing to the particularities of this region, we could not form a solid organization of the Party of Action and Solidarity in Gagauzia. It is regrettable. I admit that this is our failure. Respectively, we didn’t manage to identify a candidate who would fight and would have chances. That’s why we didn’t provide a candidate for this election. The electoral offer of the pro-Kremlin candidates is an insult to the Gagauz people. We can have a surprise as the voter turnout can be very low,” PAS MP Adrian Cheptonar stated in the program “Shadow Cabinet” on JurnalTV channel.
Ex-MP Octavian Țîcu said the abandonment of the voters with pro-European views in Gagauzia is a mistake of the government. The pro-European course should have been promoted in the region at least through the agency of independent candidates with pro-Western views.
“It is unpardonable. The political parties do not take risks as they would ridicule themselves if they obtain a derisory electoral score in Gagauzia. I think those from the PAS reasoned this way too. They could have played a subtle game. It goes to independent candidates who are tacitly supported by the party. There are people in the Gagauz region with pro-European views who can be encouraged. Two of the eight candidates are persons who represent a communication bridge. These are Furmuzal and Croitor. They both have a political past. They are both politicians. All the other candidates represent Putinist hysteria in Gagauzia,” stated historian Octavian Țîcu.
Eight candidates are contending for the post of Bashkan of Gagauzia. Irina Vlah was elected Bashkan on March 22, 2015 and was then reelected in 2019. Under the law, Vlah cannot compete for a third term in office.
