MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. Head of Moldova’s Gagauz Autonomy Evghenia Gutsul, who is currently under arrest, will top the list of the Moldovan opposition Victorie (Victory) bloc at the parliamentary elections on September 28, the bloc’ leader, Ilan Sor, said.
"The Victorie bloc’s ticket at these parliamentary elections will be topped by Evghenia Gutsul. Everyone knows that she is a strong leader and a person with firm principles. Evghenia can take the blows," he said at the bloc’s congress in Moscow.
Gutsul’s relations with the Moldovan leadership became strained in 2023 after she won elections in the autonomy and proclaimed a course toward closer relations with Russia, criticizing Chisinau’s policy of confrontation with Moscow. Moldovan authorities tried to recognized the election in Gagauzia invalid, but the Gagauz parliament sided with Gutsul. Apart from that, a series of grass-roots rallies were held in her support. However, Moldovan President Maia Sandu refused to sign a document approving Gutsul as a government member, which is required to be done under the country’s laws. On July 1, Moldovan prosecutors demanded that Gutsul be sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of illegal financing and be banned from taking leading government positions for a term of five years.