The Gagauz autonomy is virtually gone.

Sergei Chimpoesh, a deputy of the People’s Assembly of the Gagauz Autonomy in southern Moldova, told NG: “Nagorno-Karabakh has left, and now the Gagauz Autonomy is leaving.” This was said on Monday after the announcement of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Moldova on the recognition of unconstitutional article 21 of the law on the special legal status of Gagauzia, concerning the appointment of the prosecutor of the autonomy. Now the autonomy does not have its own customs (but it did), its Central Election Commission (it also did), its prosecutor (it was until yesterday), there is also a bashkan (head), but he has been arrested. One more session of the Constitutional Court, and at the request of the Prosecutor General, the court will legally revoke the autonomy. Practically, it has already been reduced to the level of the district. Now, the vice speaker of the National Assembly, Giorgi Leitchu, told NG, Chisinau’s task is to re-educate the Gagauz people. Moldovan security forces break into their homes, take away their phones and fine them for making calls to Russia.

The session of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova (RM), which took away the Gagauz people’s right to appoint the prosecutor of the Gagauz Autonomy, took place early on Monday morning. Georgy Leychu, Vice Speaker of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, told NG that representatives of the autonomous entity were not even invited to the Constitutional Court meeting, although they were required to do so by the law on the legal status of Gagauzia. “We learned about the decision of the Constitutional Court from the media, we appealed to Chisinau for explanations, but we did not receive them. Earlier, the National Assembly asked for help from foreign embassies accredited in Chisinau. I spoke about the situation with the EU Ambassador to Moldova, Janis Majakes, who told me that he understands everything, and the EU is monitoring what is happening in Gagauzia. No one appealed to the Moldovan authorities about the pressure on the autonomy, the arrest of its leader, the deprivation of the rights granted to us under the law on special legal status. Although our rights were supported by the Venice Commission and drew attention to the violations of the law. Our traditional patron, Turkey, remains silent this time. And Russia cannot help because of the difficult situation in its country. In Chisinau, they don’t pay attention to what they say in Moscow,” Leitchu said.

He noted: “It does not react to the destruction of autonomy and the OSCE, which applauded 30 years ago when the Moldovan parliament adopted the law on its creation in Gagauzia. Back then, the EU rejoiced, as Moldova was on the verge of another armed conflict after Transnistria – in Gagauzia. Moreover, on the eve of Gagauzia, they declared an independent republic from Moldova. Moldova was falling apart before our eyes. Therefore, when the Gagauz people were persuaded to agree to autonomy, they were also satisfied in Chisinau. However, now the Moldovan government’s goal is to eliminate the autonomy and put pressure on the Gagauz people who voted against Sandu (Maia Sandu– the president of Moldova. – NG), against European integration, supporting the course towards Russia, and will vote against the ruling party in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the summer.”

For President Sandu, losing the parliamentary elections means losing the authoritarian rule she has today and obeying the law of the parliamentary republic, which is the Republic of Moldova. That is, to turn into a president with representative functions. Sandu can’t afford that. She is both paralyzing and dividing the region, which, according to Gagauz MP Leitchu, she “considers a threat to the authorities in Moldova as a whole.”

NSG deputy Sergei Chimpoesh noted to NG that “Nagorno-Karabakh has left, and the Gagauz autonomy is leaving.” But the Armenians from Karabakh had somewhere to go – they moved to Armenia, the Gagauz had nowhere to run. More than two centuries ago, they fled from the Balkans from the Turkish yoke, because, remaining a Turkic-speaking people, they converted to Orthodoxy, and then they were sheltered in the Russian Empire, allowing them to settle in the Budjak steppe. The Gagauz people are still grateful to the Russian tsars (these are their words) for remaining free settlers, being allowed to open Gagauz schools, and preserving their culture. This is precisely the strong immunity of the Gagauz people against Russophobia, which they are trying to instill in them. And this is precisely the reason for the current pressure of the central authorities on the small people living compactly only in the south of Moldova. This served as the basis for the creation of autonomy.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court granted the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office to declare unconstitutional article 21 of the law “On the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia”, as well as articles 25 (part 3) and 26 of the law “On the Prosecutor’s Office”. This decision was made after the appeal of the Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu. He stated that this prerogative of the local legislative body contradicts the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, which enshrines the unitary and indivisible character of the state. noi.md with reference to Radio Moldova. 

According to the legislation in force so far, the Chief Prosecutor of Gagauzia was appointed by the Prosecutor General, but on the basis of a proposal from the National Assembly. According to Prosecutor Munteanu, such a procedure also violates the principle of separation of powers.

At the same time, a security operation began in the region. Former Prosecutor General Alexander Stoyanoglo, one of the leaders of the Alternative bloc, claims that the police are carrying out repressive actions in the settlements of Gagauzia.

“The police demand phones from people, check them to see if their owners have received money from Russian banks, and draw up protocols on electoral corruption – without any evidence. People are fined 25,000 lei (5,000 rubles), although there is no evidence that this money influenced the electoral process,” Stoyanoglo said. We are talking about the presidential elections of the Republic of Moldova last year. Stoyanoglo (for whom, by the way, the majority of voters inside Moldova voted in these elections, Sandu won against him due to the votes of the diaspora) called the events serious violations of fundamental human rights.

Protest actions were held in the villages of Gagauzia. The security forces believe that cash payments received on Russian cards are an element of passive electoral corruption. And they offer to admit guilt, promising in return not to bring people to administrative responsibility.

At the same time, the police do not provide evidence that people received money and that this in any way influenced their political choice in the presidential election. In case of disagreement with the protocols, people are advised to appeal them in court, the news portal reports, quoting people who received fines. Gagauzinfo.MD .

The People’s Assembly of Gagauzia is holding an urgent meeting to decide what to do. Ivan Burguji, the leader of the Gagauz Khalki (Gagauz People) social movement, told NG that “the People’s Assembly should be re-elected by reformatting its electoral legislation, the only way Gagauzia can stand and be preserved as an autonomy.”

The Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, Viktor Petrov, warns: “With this decision, the Constitutional Court launched the process of dismantling autonomy. Gagauzia will be followed by Transnistria.” Moldova, according to Gagauzia, is trying to build a unitary state, such as Romania, which it seeks to unite with.