2023 Gagauz gubernatorial election
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The 2023 Gagauz gubernatorial election was held on 30 April and 14 May 2023 on the territory of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, part of the Republic of Moldova. The position of Governor (Başkan) of Gagauzia represents one of the highest positions in the autonomy, also having the position of a member of the Government of the Republic of Moldova ex officio.
Background
[edit]Gagauzia's autonomy is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova and regulated by the Gagauz Autonomy Act of 1994.[1] Irina Vlah was elected on 22 March 2015 as the Başkan of Gagauzia and won her second mandate in 2019. She is no longer eligible for a third term.
Following the statements by which Irina Vlah admitted that the official language of the Republic of Moldova is Romanian, PSRM leader Igor Dodon announced that the socialists are withdrawing their support for the governor of Gagauzia.[2] Irina Vlah is an ex-officio member of the government of the Republic of Moldova throughout her mandate, being a member of the cabinets of Chiril Gaburici (2015), Valeriu Streleț (2015–2016), Pavel Filip (2016–2019), Maia Sandu (2019), Ion Chicu (2019–2021), Natalia Gavrilița (2021–2023) and Dorin Recean (2023–present).
Candidates
[edit]In the 2023 election, eight candidates registered, including one party member and seven independent candidates:[3]
Candidate | Political party | Positions held | Endorsed by | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicolai Dudoglo | Independent |
|
[4] | ||
Grigorii Uzun | Independent |
|
|
[4] | |
Mihail Formuzal | Independent |
|
|
[3] | |
Victor Petrov | Independent |
|
|
[3] | |
Dumitru Croitor | Independent |
|
[3] | ||
Serghei Cernev | Independent |
|
[3] | ||
Evghenia Guțul | Șor Party | No previous offices | [3] | ||
Serghei Cimpoieș | Independent |
|
[3] |
Opinion polls
[edit]Dates
conducted |
Polling firm | Sample
size |
Petrov Ind. |
Guțul ȘOR |
Uzun Ind. |
Dudoglo Ind. |
Formuzal Ind. |
Croitor Ind. |
Cimpoieș Ind. |
Cernev Ind. |
Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 May 2023 (2nd round) |
CEC | – | – | 52.3 | 47.7 | – | 4.6 | ||||
30 Apr 2023 (1st round) |
CEC | – | 16.2 | 26.5 | 26.4 | 9.0 | 3.5 | 10.4 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 0.1 |
30 Apr 2023 | Intellect Group-SPERO | 984 | 22 | 16 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
18–23 Apr 2023 | iData | 1,023 | 12.7 | 18.3 | 20.5 | 11.1 | 10.4 | 15.2 | 8.3 | 3.5 | 2.2 |
12–20 Apr 2023 | Başkan Elections 2023 | 2,060 | 46 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 28 |
28 Mar – 3 Apr 2023 | Başkan Elections 2023 | 1,050 | 55 | — | 16 | 11 | 10 | 6 | — | 2 | 39 |
Results
[edit]Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Evghenia Guțul | Șor Party | 14,890 | 26.47 | 27,374 | 52.34 | |
Grigorii Uzun | Independent | 14,849 | 26.40 | 24,926 | 47.66 | |
Victor Petrov | Independent | 9,133 | 16.24 | |||
Dumitru Croitor | Independent | 5,825 | 10.35 | |||
Nicolai Dudoglo | Independent | 5,059 | 8.99 | |||
Serghei Cimpoieș | Independent | 3,228 | 5.74 | |||
Mihail Formuzal | Independent | 1,969 | 3.50 | |||
Serghei Cernev | Independent | 1,301 | 2.31 | |||
Total | 56,254 | 100.00 | 52,300 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 56,254 | 98.51 | 52,300 | 97.44 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 853 | 1.49 | 1,376 | 2.56 | ||
Total votes | 57,107 | 100.00 | 53,676 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 92,563 | 61.70 | 92,558 | 57.99 | ||
Source: Central Electoral Commission – First round, Data, Second round, Data |
Controversies
[edit]Some nationalist sectors of the Romanian press criticised the fact that all the candidates were pro-Russian and Eurosceptic.[5][6][better source needed][7][better source needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Legea nr. 344 din 23.12.1994 privind statutul juridic special al Găgăuziei (Gagauz-Yeri)
- ^ ""Dacă aș fi știut..." Dodon, supărat foc pe Vlah că a sărbătorit "limba română". Dar pe Ceban?" (in Romanian). Realitatea.md. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g Popușoi, Cristina (2023-04-01), "Alegeri în Găgăuzia | În cursa pentru funcția de bașcan sunt înregistrați opt candidați", Radio Europa Liberă (in Romanian), retrieved 2023-04-04
- ^ a b Rosca, Oxana (2023-03-08). "Au fost înregistrați primii doi candidați la funcția de bașcan al Găgăuziei". Ziarul de Gardă (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Alex Ștefănescu povestește cum îl îmbrobodise Mihai Neamțu, sub pretextul unui "schimb de idei", să-i vândă produse pentru slăbit. Acum, Neamțu detestă "materialismul occidental"". 2 May 2023.
- ^ "Alegerile din Găgăuzia, unde toți candidații sunt pro-ruși, încă un motiv pentru Moscova să acuze Chișinăul / De ce este importantă Găgăuzia pentru Rusia".
- ^ "Alegeri în Găgăuzia, regiune autonomă a Republicii Moldova. Toți candidații ar fi pro-ruși". 30 April 2023.