Gagauzia People's Assembly elections set for November 15
The People's Assembly of Gagauzia has scheduled elections for deputies on November 15. This decision was made by a majority vote during an extraordinary session held on July 3, following the election of the new Speaker of the Legislature, Valentin Gaidarji.
Before the vote, deputies held closed-door consultations in the newly elected president's office. However, no decisions regulating the election procedure have been adopted yet.
Deputy Ivan Caradja, who proposed setting the election date, pointed out that none of the draft decisions aimed at organising the elections has been approved. He emphasized that the date for the vote must be established first, after which all necessary documents should be approved and the Central Electoral Commission of Gagauzia should be formed. Caradja believes there is enough time to prepare for the elections by November 15, 2026.
Vladimir Kîssa, Chairman of the Regulations Committee of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia, expressed doubts about the wisdom of setting an election date before adopting a foundational legal decision. He stated that a consensus decision should have been adopted first to address procedural issues and avoid potential disputes.
"It was necessary to first adopt a decision, whether consensus or otherwise, to prevent all the problems we currently face and to avoid giving grounds for challenges. Only after that should the election date be set. But the deputies decided differently. I abstained; I did not vote," Kîssa emphasized.
When asked when the relevant normative document could be examined, Kîssa mentioned that there are no concrete deadlines. "I do not know. Now we have a president; let him decide when to convene the meeting," he added.
Previously, a "compromise" project, developed after consultations between Chisinau and Comrat, was not adopted due to a lack of quorum at the meeting on June 2. Subsequently, alternative draft decisions were registered that contradicted that document, and their examination was also postponed.
Thus, while the date for the elections is set, the method of conducting them and the body responsible for organizing the vote remain unclear.
The electoral crisis in Gagauzia arose when local authorities refused to implement the provisions of the new Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova, which would have enabled the election’s organization. Even though the mandate of the local legislature expired in November 2025, elections could not be organized on time. Both proposed dates for the vote—March 22 and June 21, 2026—were canceled by the courts because the legal provisions regarding the establishment and functioning of the electoral authority were not followed.
The Ministry of Justice has requested the Constitutional Court to review the constitutionality of several legislative provisions, including those related to the People's Assembly's authority to approve members of the central electoral body and its involvement in appointing heads of territorial structures of national institutions, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Intelligence and Security Service.
After the failed June 2 meeting, during which a compromise mechanism for conducting the elections was to be voted on, Nicolai Ormanji announced his resignation as interim president. He stated he had done everything possible to organize the elections and had supported the adoption of a compromise document developed according to the recommendations of the authorities in Chisinau and the Central Electoral Commission. Gheorghe Leiciu temporarily took over the duties of the president of the People's Assembly.
