---
title: "Gagauzia rejects Moldova election reform as political crisis deepens"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/84078/gagauzia-rejects-moldova-election-reform-as-political-crisis-deepens
published: 2026-08-27T13:12:04Z
language: en
author: "Rodica Mazur"
section: "Regional"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Gagauzia rejects Moldova election reform as political crisis deepens

> The leadership presidium of Gagauzia's People's Assembly unanimously adopted a declaration on August 26 contesting newly passed national electoral amendments, calling on Moldovan President Maia Sandu to veto the legislation.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/111564ff-9c38-46e1-a87b-ed9a67706abe.jpg)

The leadership presidium of Gagauzia's People's Assembly unanimously adopted a declaration on August 26 contesting newly passed national electoral amendments, calling on Moldovan President Maia Sandu to veto the legislation.

The move came immediately after a full regional assembly session collapsed due to a lack of quorum, with only 14 lawmakers present in the chamber.

**Challenging the party-list mandate**

Under the electoral code revisions approved by Moldova's Parliament in their final reading on August 26, future regional lawmakers will be elected through a party-list proportional representation system. Regional leaders argue that eliminating single-member territorial constituencies infringes upon residents' rights to directly choose local representatives.

The presidium also protested revised eligibility rules for the regional governor (Bashkan), which introduce mandatory Romanian language proficiency and a minimum 10-year continuous residency requirement within the autonomous region.

**Appeals to European arbiters**

Gagauzia's legislative leadership urged the central parliament to rescind provisions that alter the region's territorial representation without prior coordination. The presidium announced plans to submit its formal objection to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and the European Court of Human Rights.

Further appeals are addressed to Western embassies in Chișinău and partner governments, including the United States, Britain, Romania, Ukraine, and European Union member states.

**Institutional gridlock in Comrat**

The legislative push from Chișinău unfolds amid a severe political vacuum in the autonomous territory. The legal mandate of Gagauzia’s sitting assembly expired on November 15, 2025, and the governor's office remains vacant following Evghenia Guțul's seven-year prison sentence in an illicit political party financing case.

Central authorities in Chișinău maintain that the amended electoral code is designed to restore institutional function and unblock long-delayed regional elections.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**