EU candidate curbs autonomy of opposition-dominated region

Moldova’s Gagauzia has been denied the right to select its prosecutor general

The Moldovan government has blocked the right of the autonomous southern region of Gagauzia to select its prosecutor general. The elected leader of the area, a vocal critic of pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu, was arrested last month.

Gagauzia has long been embroiled in a political standoff with the central government in Chisinau. The Gagauzian people are typically Turkish-speaking Orthodox Christians, and the area has constitutional rights to self-governance stemming from its unique demographic makeup.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court in Chisinau upheld a complaint filed by Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu in January, which stated that a special national body must appoint Gagauzia’s local prosecutor general, rather than considering a candidate submitted by the region’s legislative assembly. The decision is final and binding, according to local media.

The Superior Council of Prosecutors, whose authority was reaffirmed by the ruling, celebrated the outcome as aligning the appointment process in Gagauzia with “the general legal framework applicable to all territorial offices.” Munteanu described the ruling as a restoration of normalcy.

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Last month, Gagauzia Governor Yevgenia Gutsul was arrested amid investigations into alleged irregularities during her 2023 election campaign. She condemned Chisinau’s actions, asserting that the government seeks to undermine the region’s freedoms in retaliation for its support of opposition figures, including herself.

President Sandu, a Romanian citizen aiming to integrate Moldova into the EU, won reelection last year in what critics labeled a rigged election. In the second round, Gagauzia overwhelmingly supported challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo, who lost to Sandu as she secured 55% of the overall vote.

The Sandu administration faced accusations of facilitating voting in areas where her candidacy was favored, including embassies in EU countries, while undermining turnout in regions predicted to support Stoianoglo.

The president had claimed she was fighting against “pro-Russian” actors within the country as she launched a crackdown on opposition parties and media outlets, branding them as criminals.