A bill that gives Russian the status of official language was lodged with the People's Assembly of Gagauzia this February, but the deputies have not yet examined it, the Governor of Gagauzia Mihail Formuzal said in a news conference on October 26. According to Formuzal, the People's Assembly should have submitted the bill to Parliament and the problem would have been solved long ago. “The calling of a referendum is nothing but an electoral tactic,” the Governor said, referring to the legislative initiative tabled by a number of ethnic groups headed by the Novaya Gagauzia Movement, which is led by the Mayor of Comrat Nicolai Dudoglo. The proposal to hold a referendum was made public on September 24. On September 29, representatives of the initiative group filed an application to the Central Election Commission, asking registering the persons who will collect signatures in support of holding the referendum on giving Russian the status of official language. The Commission redirected the applicants to the Parliament.