MPs in Chisinau concerned with tensions in Gagauz legislature

Moldovan opposition parliamentarians, as well as Communist MPs expressed, on June 19, on the Parliament's floor, concerns related to the conflict situation recently created in the Gagauz People's Assembly. The MPs however did not take a joint stance, neither a decision in this respect, Info-Prim Neo reports. The MPs invoked distinct reasons for concern. The president of the Democratic Party (PDM), Dumitru Diacov, said the confrontation among the Comrat deputies can lead to serious problems. “This fight according to the principle «стенка на стенку» /Rus. a group against another group/ can lead to a tense situation in Moldova's south,” the PD leader said. According to him, the center's involvement makes the situation even worse. “We don't want the Parliament to get involved, because we do not have this competence, but we propose to stick together and, perhaps, to put up some advice to the People's Assembly to overcome this situation,” the PD leader said. On the other hand, the Communist MP, Irina Vlah, stated also the PCRM (Communists) would to see the Comrat situation clarified, but through the prism of the fact that the autonomy's government had abused its powers. Irina Vlah accuses Mihail Formuzal of illegally involving in the work of the People's Assembly. The Communist parliamentarian believes this situation should solved by the court. According to Irina Vlah, the court already suspended the decisions of June 16, when the independent Serghei Cernev was elected as president of the Gagauz parliament . In response, the Moldova Noastra Alliance MP, Gheorghe Susarenco, said bashkan Mihail Formuzal does “exactly as President Vladimir Voronin.” On Thursday, June 19, in Comrat, the plenary sitting of the People's Assembly took place convened by the last elected president, Serghei Cernev. The chief of the protocol section of the Assembly, Valentina Grozdev, has told Info-Prim Neo the sitting was attended by 18 MPs out of 35, the same ones who previously supported Cernev's candidacy. They passed a series of decisions related to setting up committees and to planning works. The independent Sergei Cernev was elected on June 16, without the Communist MPs, who sued the legality of the decision. They consider the position should rest with their fellow-comrade Demian Caraseni, elected on June 12 with the votes of 18 law-makers. Three ballots were declared as void, what made the Counting Commission to declare Demian Caraseni's election as illegal.