Eight candidates will compete for the post of head of Gagauzia

The Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia has completed the process of registering candidates for the elections of the head of the autonomy; eight candidates will compete for the post of head of the region.

The Central Election Commission of Moldova has scheduled combined elections for the head and deputies of the local parliament for November 15.

The Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia registered Keksal Ivanna, Anastasov Sergei and Garizan Oleg as candidates for the post of governor (bashkan) of Gagauzia.

The Central Electoral Council (CEC) of Gagauzia announced that it has completed the process of registering candidates for the elections of the head of the autonomy; eight candidates will compete for the post of head of the region.

The Central Election Commission of Moldova has scheduled combined elections for the head and deputies of the local parliament for November 15. In the administrative center of the autonomy, the city of Comrat, this decision was regarded as gross interference by the ruling Action and Solidarity party (PAS) in the affairs of the region and an attempt to remove the legally elected government.

“The Central Electoral Council (CEC) of Gagauzia registered Keksal Ivanna, Anastasov Sergey and Garizan Oleg as candidates for the position of governor (bashkan) of Gagauzia, thus completing the process of registering candidates for this position. Thus, 8 candidates will be included on the ballot for the election of governor (bashkan) of Gagauzia,” the message says.

Previously, the CIS registered as competitors in the elections for the head of Gagauzia the ex-deputy of the Moldovan parliament from the Democratic Party Corneliu Dudnic, the current deputy of the Moldovan parliament from the opposition faction "Alternative", ex-Prosecutor General Alexander Stoianoglo. They ran as independent candidates. Also vying for the post of head of the autonomy are ex-deputy of the Moldovan parliament Fedor Gagauz, whose candidacy was supported by the Socialist Party of Moldova, ex-deputy of the Moldovan parliament Petr Vlah, who was nominated by the New Historical Choice party, and deputy chairman of the political formation Ivan Kylchik will take part from the Gagauz People's Party.

Former member of the Moldovan parliament from the Socialist Party Ivanna Keksal, the mayor of the village of Kopchak Oleg Garizan and the mayor of Comrat Sergei Anastasov will run in the elections as independent candidates.

In August 2025, the court of first instance sentenced the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, to seven years in prison, she was accused of allegedly financing the Shor party, now banned in Moldova. On May 28, the Chisinau Court of Appeal upheld this verdict. The defense appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Justice, and Hutsul herself has repeatedly stated that she considers the criminal case to be politically motivated. The opposition in Moldova accuses the PDS, whose unofficial leader is Moldovan President Maia Sandu, of political pressure on the Gagauz autonomy.