Transnistria and Gagauzia

GRIGORE UZUN AND EUGENIA GUTUL PASS TO SECOND ROUND OF GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN GAGAUZIA

02 may, 2023

The southern Moldovan autonomous region of Gagauzia will have to hold a second round of elections of its Bashkan [governor] because in the first round, held on May 1, none of the 8 candidates won an absolute majority, and the second round will be contested by Grigore Uzun, who was supported by the Party of Socialists (PSRM), and Eugenia Gutul, who stood as the Sor Party’s candidate. They polled more than all the rest candidates.

According to Gagauzia’s Central Election Commission, Grigore Uzun won 14,849 ballots (26.43%) and Eugenia Gutul – 14,836 ballots (26.41%). Following next are: Victor Petrov – 9132 ballots, Dumitru Croitor 0 5825, Nikolai Dudoglo – 5059, Sergiu Cimpoies – 3231, Mihail Formuzal – 1969, Sergey Cernev - 1301 ballots.

The second round will take place in two weeks, on May 14. Eugenia Gutul is the only candidate who ran for a political party. She is supported by the Sor Party, whose leader Ilan Sor was recently sentenced by the Chisinau Appeals Court to 15 years in prison for participating in the one-billion-dollar banking fraud. Since 2019, he has been hiding in Israel. Last week, he was stripped of his mandate as a Member of Parliament.

Grigore Uzun ran as an independent candidate, but went to the polls with the symbols of the Party of Socialists. He was supported by the Moldovan Socialists, whose leader, ex-President of Moldova Igor Dodon actively campaigned for him.

Other parties, including the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), did not have a candidate for the election of the Bashkan of Gagauzia.

According to preliminary data from the CEC of Gagauzia, 57,019 people went to the polls last Sunday, so the voter turnout was 57.8%.

Last Sunday, elections of deputies of the Gagauzia Popular Assembly [regional legislature] were also held in two constituencies where previously elected deputies had died. In the Vulcanesti Raion, Mihail Savastin won with 57.4% (1299 votes). In Cioc-Maidan, Petr Janioglo won with 73.5% of the votes (1041 voters). Both winning candidates represent the Socialist Party.

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