Working group within the Central Electoral Commission of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, the Republic of Moldova (CEC Gagauzia) debated two alternative proposals of amendments to the legislation presented by the Council of Europe experts during online meeting on 24 September 2020.
It is worth mentioning that CEC Gagauzia was created in 2015 by the regional authorities from Gagauzia and is faced with a number of issues at both legal and institutional levels. Thus, national legislation of the Republic of Moldova does not envisage an electoral institution in Gagauzia working on permanent basis. Consequently, the Working group was set up in accordance with the Strategic Plan of the CEC Gagauzia for 2020-2023 to develop and bring out harmonizing proposals to the legislation towards strengthening the status and capacities of the CEC Gagauzia.
To this end, the Council of Europe experts came up with two alternative draft proposals as to change the legislation inspired from the countries which have electoral management bodies operational in autonomous regions, namely, Italy, Georgia etc. One of proposals defers to the electoral institution from Gagauzia an autonomous status being in charge of organizing elections of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia and the Head (Baskan) of Gagauzia, whereas the second proposal treats the electoral institution from Gagauzia as a semi-autonomous institution being reported functionally to the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova. In the latter case, the institution will be in charge of organizing elections of both the Gagauz authorities and of the Moldovan general campaigns in the Autonomous Territorial Unit.
As a result, Mr Ivan Comur, head of the Working Group called to its members to meet altogether the following week to discuss in details both proposals developed by the Council of Europe experts.
Once one of the draft proposals is chosen by the Working Group, the Council of Europe experts will give a help in finalising proposal’s justification and compilate the final draft so as it could be promoted by the CEC Gagauzia in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Moldova.
The activity is funded and implemented by the Council of Europe within the on-going Project “Improving electoral practice in the Republic of Moldova”.
