Former MP Fiodor Gagauz stated that the elections for the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, scheduled for 21 June, are being deliberately obstructed by the central authorities. In a public message, he argued that the decision of the Cahul Court of Appeal on 3 April — taken at the request of the State Chancellery — to suspend the previously approved election date “leaves no doubt” about the intentions of the authorities in Chișinău.

According to Gagauz, the justification invoked by the central government is based on a “purely formal detail.” He noted that the Moldovan Parliament recently amended the Electoral Code, changing the name of Gagauzia’s electoral body from “Central Electoral Commission” to “Central Electoral Council.” He claims that this terminological change is now being used as grounds to halt the entire electoral process in the autonomous region.

Gagauz argued that the renaming of the institution does not affect its existence, its functions, or the powers of the People’s Assembly, nor can it override the special legal status of Gagauzia. He recalled that the law on the status of Gagauzia grants the autonomy the right to establish its own institutions and to organize elections within its competencies — a right that, in his view, cannot be annulled through technical adjustments to national legislation.

He also accused state institutions of applying the law selectively. “Some legal provisions are invoked, while others are ignored,” he said, adding that this approach raises the question of whether the uncertainty surrounding the elections may actually benefit the central authorities.

Gagauz argued that if the government in Chișinău genuinely sought legality and stability, it would support the organization of elections rather than create obstacles. He warned that the absence of legally elected and functioning institutions in the autonomy leaves the region in a vulnerable and uncertain state.

The former MP further suggested that the current situation could pave the way for weakening or even eliminating Gagauzia’s autonomy within the Republic of Moldova, calling it a “dangerous and irresponsible game” that undermines public trust in state institutions.

Gagauz called on the central authorities to stop what he described as legal manipulation and political interference. He urged them to respect the law and not obstruct Gagauzia’s right to hold free and democratic elections.