Mihail Formuzal to be invested as Governor of Gagauzia

Mihail Formuzal is reinvested as Governor (Bashkan) of Gagauzia on February 14. The ceremony will take place in Comrat, starting at 10.00. Moldova’s Acting President and Head of Parliament Marian Lupu will be attending the event, Info-Prim Neo reports. The administration of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia announced that it will not take part in the investiture. In a press statement, the legislative body says the local executive did not agree the date of the ceremony with the People’s Assembly, in breach of the law. The investiture was to be held as part of a special meeting of the People’s Assembly, not at the Cultural Home in Comrat, as planned. The “Novaya Gagauzia” Movement headed by the Mayor of Comrat Nicolai Dudoglo, who was the main opponent of Mihail Formuzal in the elections for Governor, supported this position. In the second round of voting on December 26, Mihail Formuzal won by about 2% of the vote more than Nicolai Dudoglo. The mayor of Comrat challenged the results of the elections in court, complaining about numerous irregularities. After a trial that lasted for several weeks, the Comprat Court of Appeals validated the election outcome.