CHISINAU, August 5. /TASS/. Head of Moldova’s Gagauz autonomy Evghenia Gutsul will retain her office until a ruling on her appeal is made, a Gagauz lawmaker said.
"Gutsul’s mandate remains effective and early elections cannot be called until the final ruling of the Court of Appeals. This is what the law on Gagauzia’s special status says," Alexander Tarnovsky told the Rupor news portal.
According to the lawmaker, Gutsul’s first deputy, Ilya Uzun, will serve as acting Gagauzia head while she’s in prison. If the appellate court upholds the verdict, Gagauzia’s National Assembly (parliament) will call a snap election. "Should this happen, the election of Gagauzia’s new head will be held within 90 days," he explained.
Earlier in the day, Gutsul was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of illegal financing of the opposition party Sor. Apart from that, she was banned from being a member of any political party for five years and fined $2.4 million, the amount she allegedly took to finance her campaign. The court also upheld a previous ruling to seize her property. Gutsul categorically denies all the charges, slamming the case as a political vendetta against her. According to the Gagauz head, Moldova’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, which controls the parliament and government, is behind her trial. Her lawyers have promised to appeal the verdict to a higher court.
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 invalidate the election in Gagauzia, 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.