site.btaVazrazhdane Issues Declaration over Restrictions on Powers of Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia

The Vazrazhdane political party issued a declaration concerning the restriction of the powers of Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. MP Angel Georgiev said the declaration was prompted by developments in the Republic of Moldova that affect not only the country’s domestic political life but also the rights of “a Bulgarian autonomous community with which Bulgaria has deep historical, cultural, spiritual and, most importantly, blood ties.”

When an established model of self-government, guaranteed by law, is called into question and has a bearing on preserving the identity of the Bulgarian-Gagauz community, the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria cannot remain indifferent, the MP stressed.

He explained that on July 9 this year, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova ruled that key provisions of the law concerning Gagauzia’s special legal status were unconstitutional. As a result of the ruling, the autonomous territorial administrative unit was deprived of its right to independently establish its own electoral body, while the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia lost its power to participate in the appointment of the heads of the police, the information and security service, and the justice administration in the region, Angel Georgiev said.

He added that the autonomous unit’s lawyer had requested that the proceedings be suspended and that the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission be asked to provide an opinion on the standards governing territorial autonomy. The deputy speaker of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia had also requested that the court wait for another pending case related to the Electoral Code. Both requests were rejected by the court.

The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. It is precisely this speed, combined with the refusal to consult the Venice Commission, that raises legitimate concerns, Vazrazhdane said, arguing that, under the pretext of bringing the legislation into compliance with the Constitution, a constitutionally guaranteed special status is effectively being dismantled.

“Gagauzia is home to a large historic community of Gagauz Bulgarians, who have close ties to Bulgarian culture. We cannot remain indifferent when the self-government rights of this community of ours are being reconsidered unilaterally and outside the parliamentary process,” the declaration said.

The declaration condemns the decision of Moldova’s Constitutional Court as an act that “undermines the spirit and purpose of the law on Gagauzia’s special status, which was adopted precisely to guarantee regional self-government, rather than to be circumvented through judicial interpretation.”

“We call on the competent authorities in Moldova to seek the opinion of the Venice Commission before taking any further steps. We insist that the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry closely monitor the situation and take the necessary diplomatic action to protect the interests of our compatriots, both in Gagauzia and throughout the Republic of Moldova,” Angel Georgiev read out.