COMRAT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2023) The voter turnout at the election of the governor of Moldova's Gagauzia has reached 38.6% as of 3 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT), the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the autonomous territory said on Sunday.
The election of Gagauzia's head are taking place in Moldova's pro-Russian southern autonomy on Sunday, with eight candidates on the ballot. Incumbent Governor Irina Vlah is not eligible for reelection since she has already served two consecutive terms.
"According to the data of the CEC, 37,157 people have voted by 3 p.m., it accounts for 38.6% of all voters (in the region)," the president of Gaugazia's CEC, Yana Kovalenko, said.
If none of the candidates receives over 50% of the votes, a runoff will be held in two weeks.
Each of the candidates running for the office of the governor has expressed their support for the development of cooperation with Russia and other states of the Eurasian Economic Union, contrary to the pro-European position of the country's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity and President Maia Sandu.
Gagauzia, where most people speak Russian as well as the Turkish-linked Gagauz language, declared independence from the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990 but was integrated into Moldova in 1994. The Gagauz people are Orthodox Christians of Turkic origin.
