Chisinau, November 2 (Infotag). The Gagauzia governor election campaign is advancing fairly passively because this southern Moldovan autonomous region has a very modest number of populated areas [2 towns each having a population of some 30 thousand, and 28 villages. With the total populace of 157 thousand, adults eligible to vote should be around 100 thousand people]. Such and other conclusions were made by the authors of a project called “Free and Correct Election of the Gagauzia Bashkan”, being realized in Gagauz Yeri with the Eurasia Foundation’s assistance. The election is due on December 3.

Association for Active Democracy (ADEPT) Executive Director Igor Botan told a news conference in Infotag that although the campaign has been under way for over a month by now, candidates for Bashkan have not yet made their electoral platforms public.

He said the candidates are remaining quite passive, waiting for the ultimate two pre-election weeks to come. Besides, Gagauzia is a very small region, and each of the 4 candidates is very well known personally to practically all residents.

Asked if the candidates use the Gagauzian language in the electioneering, Botan said they use mainly Russian, though the region has 3 official languages – Moldovan, Gagauzian, and Russian. To save money, the candidates publish even their canvassing materials in Russian.

Igor Botan also said the rivals have not suspended their official posts for the campaign period.

Independent Press Association Executive Director Petru Macovei said the State-funded mass media in Gagauzia give preference to the incumbent Bashkan, George Tabunshik.

“His rivals thus find themselves in a pretty disadvantageous situation, as TV and radio and newspapers speak very little of them”, pointed out Macovei, adding that e.g. the “United Gagauzia” independent newspaper backs Mikhail Formuzal.

League for Human Right Protection in Moldova (LADOM) Chairman Paul Strutzescu said that though all the 4 candidates have registered with the Gagauzia electoral commission as independent runners, all of them have certain Moldovan political parties standing behind them.

“None of the candidates has indicated in his electoral materials their printing date, or the printing house name, or circulation figure, which implies lack of transparency in financing the election campaign”, Strutzescu said.

The news conference participants pointed out that by legislation, candidates for Gagauzia Bashkan have the right to hold public debates over the Moldova-1 public television channel. However, it is unlikely that either of them will use such opportunity.

The project performers told that a Gagauzia public organization, “Civil Initiative”, has proposed to open polling stations in Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia, where quite many Gagauzia residents are working. However, the Gagauzia authorities are known to be skeptical about arranging polling stations abroad.