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Moldovan district court rules Gagaus autonomy secession referendum illegal

The Gagauz Popular Assembly substantiated its decision to discuss possible secession from Moldova by “Romania’s open state policy aiming to absorb the republic"

© ITAR-TASS/Vadim Denisov

CHISINAU, January 07, 21:11 /ITAR-TASS/. Moldova’s Comrat district court has recognized as illegitimate a forthcoming referendum on secession of the Gagauz autonomy in case it is deprived of its status, the court press service said on Tuesday. The relevant decision of the Gagauz parliament was challenged by Moldova’s authorities.

“The decision to organize a referendum is illegitimate, since it is beyond the competences of the Gagauz Popular Assembly,” the press service said.

Meanwhile, a number of lawmakers have already told journalists that they were not going to abide by the court ruling. “It is a secret to no one that our courts are politicized and pressurized,” said lawmaker Roman Tyutin. “I think this ruling was politically motivated, so we shall go on insisting on a referendum.”

The Gagauz Popular Assembly substantiated its decision to discuss possible secession from Moldova by “Romania’s open state policy aiming to absorb the republic, which has obvious support from Moldova’s top officials and state bodies.”

Last week, Romanian President Traian Basescu told the local television that the country’s task for 2014 was to openly declare that Moldova was a Romanian land. “This country was not born under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, it has its history, culture, language that are linked with Romania and the Romanian people,” he then said.

These pronouncements provoked severe criticism from both Chisinau and Bucharest. Moldovan Prima Minister Iurie Leanca said that such statements were only destabilizing the political situation in Moldova.

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