The People’s Assembly of Gagauzia (PAG) has approved a package of amendments to the draft new Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova. Authorities in Comrat stated that several proposals put forward by Chișinău require revision, taking into account the special legal status of the autonomy.

Among the key initiatives proposed by the PAG are:

• limiting the powers of Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to methodological, technical, and informational support, excluding oversight of elections in Gagauzia;
• establishing the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia with 9 members: one appointed by the Bashkan, one nominated by the judicial authority, four elected by the PAG, and three delegated by Moldova’s CEC;
• setting the permanent composition of the People’s Assembly at 35 deputies elected in single-member constituencies;
• removing the requirement for a fixed date for elections of PAG deputies and the Bashkan;
• introducing a three-year residency requirement in Gagauzia for candidates running for seats in the People’s Assembly;
• removing the mandatory Romanian language requirement for candidates for the position of Bashkan, while maintaining the requirement to know the Gagauz language;
• preserving the single-member electoral system and rejecting proportional allocation of mandates;
• removing the provision concerning the so-called “disguised independent candidate” — an independent candidate who is in fact supported by a political party.

The proposals of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia will be submitted for consideration to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.