Moldova's Constitutional Court Strips Gagauzia of Right to Organize Its Own Elections
Moldova's Constitutional Court ruled that the autonomous region of Gagauzia cannot independently approve its electoral body or appoint heads of local security and justice agencies, deepening an ongoing election crisis.
On July 9, Moldova's Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional the powers of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia to approve the region's electoral authority and to participate in appointing heads of territorial branches of the police, Security Service, and Justice Department. The decision came in response to a request from the Ministry of Justice.
Under current legislation, Gagauzia has its own electoral body that organizes elections for the governor (bashkan) and the People's Assembly, and also acts as a second-level electoral council during national elections. The central government argues this creates a parallel electoral system. In Comrat, Gagauzia's capital, local officials maintain that these are legitimate autonomous rights enshrined in the law on Gagauzia's special legal status.
The court also rejected a request from the People's Assembly to review provisions of the Electoral Code, where the autonomous electoral body is called the Central Electoral Council rather than the Central Electoral Commission as stipulated in the special status law.
Following the ruling, the speaker of the People's Assembly strongly disagreed and demanded the resignation of Constitutional Court chairwoman Domnica Manole, saying the court "wiped its feet on the constitution."
The election crisis in Gagauzia has lasted over a year. The term of the current People's Assembly expired in November 2025, but new elections could not be held due to discrepancies between local and national electoral legislation. In June, representatives of the pro-Russian Party of Socialists and the Party of Communists in Moldova appealed to the Venice Commission over the ongoing dispute regarding the organization of elections in Gagauzia.
