There is a “life and death” struggle between the central authorities in Chisinau and the Shor Party, says Vlad Kulminski, former deputy prime minister for Reintegration. According to him, the central government will have to carry this fight to the end, otherwise there will be serious consequences in the next elections. In the same context, Vlad Kulminski says that the new governor of Gagauzia is a “nominal person”, while all the decisions will be made by the local elites instead.

“It is important to understand that Yevgeniya Gutsul will be a nominal person, she will not manage absolutely anything in this region. Maybe in a year she will develop some management skills and she will become a leader, a true leader of autonomy. But, at least for now, absolutely everything related to the Gagauz autonomy will be managed by the local elites. The People’s Assembly will be reformed, it’s quite likely, and a majority will be built there that will rule the Gagauz autonomy”, Vlad Kulminski said during a Vocea Bessarabiei talk show.

According to the former deputy prime minister, the fight between the Shor Party and the central government fans the popularity of the party led by the fugitive oligarch. The latest polls show that the Shor Party has doubled its ratings from the 2021 snap election.

“Now we were dealing with a fierce life and death struggle with the Shor Party, because this party was inflated like a balloon and the Government in Chisinau, the state authorities, will have to go all the way, because otherwise, it would mean that they have created a very strong electoral competitor”, said Kulminski.

The Government has sought the dissolution of the Shor Party in court, claiming the latter’s actions erode the constitutional order and sovereignty of Moldova. The Constitutional Court will resume examining the matter on June 12.