At the last meeting of the current session, held on Thursday, July 30, Parliament approved in the first reading a bill that provides for changes to the procedure for electing deputies to the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. The bill provides for a transition to a proportional representation system, adjusts the operations of electoral bodies, and introduces new requirements for candidates.
Thus, the bill proposes abandoning the current single-member district system and transitioning to a proportional representation model, similar to that used in local council elections. The elections for deputies to the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, scheduled for November 15, 2026, will be held for the last time under the current majority system.
The main new feature of the draft is the mechanism against “disguised independent candidates”—individuals who formally run as independents but in reality coordinate their campaign, funding, or promotion with a political party.
The bill also provides for changes regarding the exercise of the right to vote. According to the initiative, registration at one’s place of residence or temporary residence must be completed at least three months before the election date so that voters can participate in the election based on this information.
According to the authors of the initiative—members of the parliamentary majority—the draft was developed taking into account the recommendations of the Central Election Commission, which were formulated following electoral assessments conducted after the 2024 elections and the 2025 parliamentary elections. At the same time, the document includes the legislative measures necessary to implement the Constitutional Court’s ruling of July 9, 2026, which declared a number of provisions of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia to be unconstitutional.
The ruling party and the opposition have differing views on the reform
The opposition has criticized the bill. MP Alexandr Stoianoglo believes that the proposed amendments, which form the basis of this initiative, go far beyond the scope of implementing the Constitutional Court’s decision. In his view, the bill effectively nullifies the provisions of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia and deprives the autonomous region of the right to independently organize and conduct its own elections. At the same time, the provisions of this law remain in force and continue to serve as the legal basis for organizing elections in the autonomous region.
“It is precisely this law that establishes the system and procedure for organizing and conducting elections for deputies to the People’s Assembly and for the office of Bashkan of Gagauzia,” Stoianoglo stated.
For his part, PSRM deputy Vladimir Odnostalco criticized the provision in the draft law that makes knowledge of the Romanian language mandatory for candidates. According to him, “in reality, this is about eliminating inconvenient candidates.”
“Fine, knowledge of the Romanian language. Then ensure the conditions are in place for people to learn it. Otherwise, it amounts to a selection process from the start—unwanted candidates will be eliminated because everything is flawed. There will be candidates in disguise. Will you offer the Gagauz people the opportunity to choose only from among those you select, so that they can then choose from among them?!” Odnostalco declared.
Natalia Davidovici, a member of parliament from the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), assured that “nothing threatens Gagauzia”:
“The Gagauz language, culture, and the right to enact local laws—all of these will be preserved. But we are obliged to use all legal means to ensure that people who sow chaos in Gagauzia and turn autonomy into a constant source of tension for the entire Republic of Moldova no longer end up in the People’s Assembly or in the office of Bashkan. This is not a vendetta, but a measure to protect our common security.”
It should be noted that the draft law amending the Electoral Code was registered on July 27, and on July 30 it was included on the Parliament’s agenda and approved in the first reading.
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