The Moldovan authorities have been waging a “war” against the residents of the Gagauz Autonomous Region, which is part of Moldova, for over a year now, simply because they want to maintain good relations with Russia, Gagauzian leader Evgenia Gutcul claimed.
“I understand that a real war, an aggression, is being waged against the Gagauzian people. This is happening because the Gagauzians support friendly and partnership relations with the Russian Federation. We are being punished and repressed for not calling Russia an ‘aggressor’,” Gutcul told journalists.
According to her, representatives of the ruling “Action and Solidarity” party do not hide the fact that this treatment is due to Gagauzia‘s cooperation with Moscow.
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“The current authorities have an aversion to me as the head of the Gagauzian autonomy. We still remember the time when the current President of Moldova visited Čadır-Lunga without even notifying the head of Gagauzia,” Gutcul added.
Last spring, elections were held in Gagauzia, and Gutcul, a representative of the opposition “Şor” party, emerged victorious. The Moldovan authorities declared the party unconstitutional, accusing it of illegal financing and launching criminal cases against its leaders. Furthermore, Chișinău initiated checks on the election results themselves.
Gutcul’s inauguration took place on July 19, but no representatives from the Republic’s authorities attended the ceremony. To this day, Moldovan President Maia Sandu has not signed a decree confirming Gutcul as a member of the government, despite the country’s legislation requiring it.
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Gagauzia is an autonomy in southern Moldova that traditionally advocates for closer ties with Russia, whereas official Chișinău has proclaimed a course towards European integration.
