Ilia Uzun asks the People's Assembly to delay mayoral elections until the court's decision in the Guțul case
Ilia Uzun, the interim Bashkan of Gagauzia, has requested that the deputies of the People's Assembly in Comrat remove the topic of organizing elections for the Bashkan position from the agenda of the upcoming meeting on August 17. Although the legislation states that declaring the position vacant does not require a court decision, Uzun is asking for the elections to be postponed until the Supreme Court of Justice makes a ruling in the Evghenia Guțul case.
The interim mayor described Evghenia Guțul's sentence as politically motivated, asserting that the charges against her lacked sufficient evidence.
“I declare with full responsibility that she is in prison unjustly. She is innocent but is regarded as guilty. I want to emphasize that this sentence is purely political. Thus, all the charges are based solely on the statements of a few witnesses”, Uzun stated in an interview with Radio Moldova Comrat.
He further claimed that the criminal prosecution is exclusively linked to the results of the 2023 mayoral elections.
“They also made an association with the illegal financing of the party, but why? Simply because the ruling party's candidate did not win the election,” Uzun added.
The interim mayor criticized the APG leadership for attempting to put the matter of declaring the position vacant to a vote.
“Esteemed deputies, the mere act of including the issue of declaring the Bashkan of Gagauzia's position vacant on the agenda of your session of the People's Assembly, regardless of the decision made, is a sacrilege and a betrayal on our part,” Uzun said.
Evghenia Guțul was sentenced to seven years in prison for complicity in the illegal financing of the former “Shor” party. According to law enforcement agencies, during her tenure as secretary in the Department of Monitoring, Planning, and Control of the “Shor” party from 2019 to 2022, Guțul facilitated the systematic introduction of undeclared funds into the Republic of Moldova, primarily from Russia, which were then used in the party's activities.
One particular aspect of the charges pertains to the period between September and November 2022. According to prosecutors, Guțul coordinated the activities of the "Shor" party's territorial offices, including verifying and confirming lists of protest participants and managing their payments. The charges relate to financing the party with over 40 million lei.
It is important to note that criminal trials were ongoing even before Evghenia Guțul became the Bashkan of Gagauzia.
In his address, Ilia Uzun stated that there has yet to be a decision from the Supreme Court of Justice. However, for the position of Bashkan to be declared vacant, according to the law, a Supreme Court decision is not necessary.
According to the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia, the Bashkan's mandate can end early if the court's conviction becomes final and the Bashkan is unable to perform their duties for more than 60 days.
Evghenia Guțul has not exercised her official duties as Bashkan since March 2025.
