Moldova Supreme Court blocks Gagauzia election preparations amid legal deadlock
The Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) of Moldova has issued a final ruling suspending the executive decisions of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia regarding its regional electoral body.
The irrevocable decision, delivered on January 20, effectively paralyzes the organization of the legislative elections scheduled for March 22, 2026. Experts warn the deadlock now threatens the legitimacy of the entire democratic process in the autonomous region.
Supreme Court cites legal non-compliance
The high court overturned a previous lower court ruling, stating that the regional legislature’s attempts to appoint members to a "Central Election Commission of Gagauzia" violated national law.
Under Moldova’s Electoral Code, only a "Central Electoral Council" is recognized as part of the national system. The CSJ emphasized that forming electoral bodies not provided for by national legislation is strictly prohibited.
Institutional paralysis in the region
Petr Zaharia, the head of the now-suspended regional commission, confirmed to national broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova that all activities are frozen.
"The elections have not been cancelled yet, but the Commission is currently non-functional," Zaharia stated. He noted that while a skeletal staff remains, a postponement of the March vote is increasingly likely.
Political stakes and EU accession
Local analyst Mihail Sirkeli views the impasse as a deliberate political provocation. He argues the regional leadership is intentionally defying national reforms to signal resistance to Moldova's European integration path.
"This hits the rule of law criteria directly," Sirkeli said. He added that since the People's Assembly's mandate has already expired, they lack the legal authority to amend local laws to fix the naming dispute.
Risks of non-recognition
Serghei Cernev, head of the State Chancellery’s Comrat office, warned that any election organized by an unrecognized body would be legally void.
"If this body does not exist in the Electoral Code of Moldova, the courts will simply not validate the results," Cernev explained. He suggested the crisis was maintained to keep the region in a state of tension ahead of the national parliamentary elections.
Legislative emergency session
Interim Speaker of the People's Assembly, Nikolai Ormanji, described the situation as "political chaos." He has called for an extraordinary session on January 22 to discuss the fallout.
The regional mandate officially expired in November 2025. However, a series of institutional conflicts and the illegal dissolution of previous electoral bodies have prevented the region from holding timely elections for over a year.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
