Almost 4% of the voters in Gagauzia cast their ballots in the referendums during two hours of the opening of the polling stations there, said the local Central Election Commission, quoted on the information portal gagauzinfo.md.

Today, February 2, the people in Gagauzia are expected to take part in two referendums – a consultative one, on the external development course of Moldova and a legislative one, on the Gagauz people’s right to self-determination if Moldova loses its sovereignty, IPN reports.

As many as 62 polling stations were established in the Gagauz autonomous region. They will work from 7am until 9pm. There are two ballots for the consultative referendum. In one of them the voters are asked if they want Moldova to become part of the EU, while in the second – if they are for integration into the Russia – Belarus – Kazakhstan Customs Union. There is only one bill for the legislative referendum, which contains the bill on the Gagauz people’s right to self-determination.

The Central Election Commission in Comrat designed its own stamps for the referendums as the central authorities refused to issue the official ones. The nongovernmental organization “Piligrim-Demo” didn’t accept to supervise the plebiscites, arguing they are illegal.

On January 3, the Comrat Court annulled the decisions of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia on the holding of the referendums. However, the Court’s decision takes effect on February 3. The Gagauz deputies told the local press they will appeal this decision in the higher courts. On January 31, the People’s Assembly confirmed its vote in favor of holding the referendums. Representatives of the Government have told IPN that the January 31 decision will be challenged in court after it is published.