IPN analysis: Statements about the necessity of strengthening the powers of the Gagauz autonomous unit started to be made more often and from higher rostrums. However, despite the insistence of representatives of Gagauzia, the prospects of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia to be reviewed are minor. What does hinder this more: the unwillingness of Chisinau or the unwillingness of Comrat itself?
The ‘Gagauz model’ became older
Last week, the reciprocal relations of Gagauzia with the central authorities of Moldova were discussed in an international forum held in the Polish town of Krynica. Speaking before politicians and representatives of businesses from Europe, Asia and the U.S., the Governor of Gagauzia Mihail Formuzal said the status of the autonomous region should be modified in accordance with the realities that changed over the last 20 years.
According to the assertions of the Gagauz leader, the peaceful resolution of the Moldovan-Gagauz conflict in 1994 became a positive example for the whole world community. At the same time, during the almost 20 years that passed, the ‘Gagauz model’ became outdated. Now, in order to show to the world the ability to resolve conflicts, the authorities of Moldova and Gagauzia should modify the status of the autonomous unit by taking into account the wishes of the region’s residents and Moldova’s European integration aspirations. A key aspect should become the implementation of the mechanism for clearly delimiting the powers between the central bodies of the Moldovan administration and the administration of Gagauzia.
The given theses represent in Gagauzia a common opinion of practically all the political and social forces. Nobody has doubts here that the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia is respected only formally. Indeed, the autonomous unit has its symbols, legislative and excusive bodies and the supreme post of Bashkan (Governor) who forms part of the Government of Moldova. But the implementation of the given law stops here as all the administrative bodies of the autonomous unit have limited powers and can do nothing without the consent of Chisinau, said representatives of Gagauzia.
Revision is necessary, but not everyone is prepared
Mihail Sircheli, executive director of the NGO “Piligrim-demo”, is also among those who are for the revision and modification of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia. Nevertheless, in an interview for IPN, Mihail Sircheli said that nobody will revise this law in the near future and this fact has both positive and negative aspects.
The plusses reside in the fact that the sides itself are now not ready for possible changes. Before making amendments to the law, Chisinau and Comrat must examine, with the support of the foreign partners, all the problematic aspects of this law and to agree a solution acceptable to both of the sides. According to Sircheli, Chisinau is now concerned that the addressing of this issue can cause certain inconvenience. Furthermore, the government does not have the two thirds of votes needed in Parliament to make changes to the law. At the same time, the main drawback of the impossibility of reviewing the law resides in the fact that the law indeed needs to be amended and the contradictions that cause political conflicts in the autonomous unit should be eliminated.
Sirchel considers that the prospect of reviewing the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia greatly depends on the position of the authorities of the region. “Comrat should ultimately work out a clear strategy as regards Gagauzia’s future, which would reflect the existing reality and the autonomous units’ interests. The political elites of Gagauzia must serve the region’s interests, not the interests of the party bosses from Chisinau or the geopolitical interests of Moscow. They must adopt a common position on the status of Gagauzia within Moldova and support it with common forces,” said the head of the NGO “Piligrim-demo”.
Fewer slogans and more coherence
The senior government officials of Moldova also said that in the functioning of the autonomous unit, a lot depends on the region’s administration. Marian Lupu, who probably has the richest experience of supporting the dialogue with the Gagauz colleagues among all the Heads of Parliament of Moldova, repeatedly said he was ready to examine any problematic aspect of the relations between the autonomous unit and the central authorities during his visits to Gagauzia as Speaker. In response to the traditional reproaches against him, that he infringes the interests of Gagauzia, Lupu urged that the issue should be transferred from slogans and accusations to definite bills, expressing his readiness to present them to Parliament. But, during many years the People’s Assembly Gagauzia submitted only several legislative initiatives to Moldova’s Parliament.
The prevalence of slogans over concrete aspects in the process of strengthening the powers of Gagauzia is indeed evident. The authorities of Gagauzia show unity as regards the demands, but do not have a clear position as regards their implementation. Reference is permanently made to European examples of autonomous units, but no analysis is made of the application of the European models in Moldova’s conditions. There are serious doubts about the idea of delimiting the powers between Comrat and Chisinau so that the whole Gagauz political elite knows what it is about, what the essence of this process is and what the mechanism for implementing it consists of. Which foreign example of delimitation of powers can be borrowed: that of Tatarstan with Russia or that of Scotland with the UK? In every separate case, the established practice of reciprocal relations between the central authorities and the administration of autonomous regions is determined by historical multi-secular experience. This is also an important task for Comrat.
Do the representatives of Gagauzia haw sufficient arguments for reviewing and strengthening the current status of the autonomy? As far as I remember, politologist Oazu Nantoi, in one of his interviews answered namely the question concerning the strengthening of the status of Gagauzia. He said that the autonomous unit was founded by the adoption by Moldova’s Parliament of the law of December 23, 1994. Consequently, Parliament has the right to strengthen the rights and powers of the autonomous region or, in general, to liquidate it fully. This opinion caused controversy and revolt in Comrat. But nobody contradicted Nantoi with arguments. Nobody uttered that historical-juridical reason that would enable Gagauzia to claim additional privileges, compared with the other districts of Moldova.
We mustn’t be afraid
We do not say that Gagauzia does not have reasons to apply for a special political status. We just warn that the dialogue between Comrat and Chisinau undoubtedly lacks a reasonable character. Instead of holding explicit talks, they do not stop exchanging replies and accusations. The idea of reviewing the status of Gagauzia should not alarm us as any law becomes outdated sooner or later. The time requires changes even to the Constitution. That’s’ why, given that Comrat insists on the revision of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia, the Moldovan authorities should not avoid discussing this issue. Otherwise, the given topic may become an ideal pretext for panicking the population and generating all kinds of speculations – from ‘the Moldovans discredit against us’ to ‘the Gagauz people are separatists’, if only somebody is interested in maintaining such a state of affairs.
Veaceslav Crăciun, for IPN
