The deputies of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia put off voting on the Electoral Code of Gagauzia that was drafted by a commission of the Assembly. They could not agree on a number of terms in the Gagauz language from the bill and decided to return to it in two weeks. Civil society repeatedly asked that this bill should be reviewed as it runs counter to the constitutional norms and the national legislation of Moldova, IPN reports.
According to the Comrat news portal gagauzinfo.md, deputy Roman Tiutin asked postponing he voting for the reason that the executive committee of Gagauzia and a number of commissions of the People’s Assembly haven’t yet presented their appraisals. A point from the bill, which provides naming the local councils in the Gagauz language, aroused disputes among the deputies. It was decided to consult specialists in the Gagauz language so as to resolve the disagreements.
Recently, a number of civil society organizations issued a press statement, requesting reviewing the given bill. According to them, the bill provides that the members of Moldova’s Parliament are elected by the electoral bodies of Gagauzia in cooperation with the Central Election Commission based on partnership, not hierarchical relations. The representatives of civil society noted that the parliamentary elections are not within the competence of Gagauzia and are regulated by the Electoral Code of Moldova.
The bill drafted in Gagauzia also regulates the local elections to choose mayors and local councilors in Gagauzia. Civil society underlines that under the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia, the People’s Assembly can only announce elections in the public bodies of the autonomous region. The local elections are regulated by the Electoral Code of Moldova and are held simultaneously all over country.
The NGOs consider the adoption of this bill in the current form will worsen the relations between Comrat and Chisinau.
Deputy Ivan Burguji, who heads the legal commission of the People’s Assembly that drafted the bill, in the August 8 meeting said civil society had one year to formulate proposals for improving the bill and now reserves the right to interpret the legal provisions, but only the deputies can do this, according to him.
Civil society drafted an alternative bill that regulates the electoral sector of Gagauzia in accordance with the national legislation and demands adopting it. The bill was formulated with the assistance of election experts, representatives of civil society and deputies of the People’s Assembly.
