Head of Gagauzia Hutsul: Moldovan authorities have increased pressure on pro-Russian forces
Moldovan political forces, which are in opposition and friendly towards Russia, are under serious pressure from the country's government. Moldovan politicians spoke about this at the presentation of the non-profit organization “Eurasia” in Moscow, reports a Lenta.ru correspondent.
Pressure on Gagauzia
The conflict between the central authorities and the regions of Moldova was mentioned by the bashkan (head) of the autonomous territorial entity of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul. In her opinion, the central authorities of Moldova are purposefully creating a negative and incorrect image of the residents of the autonomy, who allegedly refuse the country’s European path.
“They are trying to present us, the residents of Gagauzia, as retrogrades who cling to the past,” said the head of the autonomy, emphasizing that her team advocates cooperation with different partners. Its activities are not directed against anyone, but take into account the potential of various integration projects, including the Eurasian Economic Union.
Because of this special opinion, according to Hutsul, the government of Moldova infringes on the rights of the Gagauz people, takes away their powers and even tries to eliminate the Gagauz autonomy. The Moldovan authorities justify this by saying that the head of Gagauzia seeks separation of the region, separatism, but Hutsul pointed out the fallacy of this idea.
For Gagauzia, Moldova is our common home. And we have no other homeland
At the same time, pressure on Evgenia Hutsul has been increasing recently. After trips to Russia made by the head of Gagauzia and members of her team, the politicians were searched and detained at the Chisinau airport for several hours. Hutsul called what was happening “real humiliation” and “pressure from the authorities on their own citizens.”
“It becomes dangerous to return to your home. You don’t know what to expect from the authorities in Chisinau,” Hutsul spoke about her fears during a press conference.
Criminal prosecution
Finally, the Moldovan anti-corruption prosecutor’s office sent the materials of the criminal case to the court against the head of Gagauzia. She was charged with knowingly “accepting financing from an organized criminal group or criminal organization,” which carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison.
According to Evgenia Gutsul, the case against her was fabricated “at the direction of” the country’s president, Maia Sandu. At the same time, the politician intends to continue the fight.
“I have already stated that I am ready for criminal prosecution. (…) I will not stop my fight,” Hutsul wrote in her Telegram-channel.
The Moldovan authorities are currently driven by fear of the growing opposition, the head of Gagauzia commented on the criminal case and other harassment to Lente.ru.
“Of course, this is fear of the upcoming elections, because the anti-rating is so high among the authorities in Chisinau that they no longer know what else to come up with,” she emphasized, calling her team one of the strongest opposition parties in the country.
Harassment of the pro-Russian opposition
The leader of the Shor political party, abolished in 2023, a former member of the Moldovan parliament, Ilan Shor, also spoke about unfair competition in elections in Moldova.
“Over the past few years, we have seen the withdrawal of candidates in the second round, the withdrawal of parties. There are elections on Sunday, and they are canceled on Friday,” he recalled.
According to the politician, the country's authorities are directly getting rid of political competitors, for which reasons and legal documentation are urgently being invented.
They [власти Молдавии] The rules change as the game progresses. Laws are created under our command during parliamentary sessions
At the same time, it is the pro-Russian position that becomes the reason for persecution. In addition, according to the politician, Western countries are actively helping the Moldovan authorities in persecuting opposition forces.
“No matter what the Moldovan opposition does, the authorities immediately say that these are agents of the Kremlin and impose restrictions. And in 15 minutes there will be EU sanctions against the opposition, in 30 minutes – sanctions from the United States, then Canada, New Zealand…” said Ilan Shor, noting that Western countries always act in a coordinated manner.
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In this regard, the Moldovan opposition should act together, the politician said. Shor also expressed the hope that the situation in Moldova will be covered in the world, and that friendly states will quickly respond to this harassment.
It is very important that the reaction of the countries of the post-Soviet space is also [на происходящее в Молдавии]
The unequal opportunities of Moldovan political parties were also confirmed by the former president of the country, Vladimir Voronin. In his opinion, the current authorities guarantee the victory of their candidates in the elections thanks to “political corruption.”
“Bribery of voters, falsification of electoral lists, falsification of results, formation of election committees only from government representatives,” is how he described the political system of modern Moldova.
Possibility of reconciliation
At the same time, it is possible to overcome the political divide in Moldova. Former Prime Minister of the country Vasily Tarlev told Lenta.ru about this. In his opinion, comprehensive oppression of the opposition is still not happening.
It is still premature to talk about oppression today. I think that certain wrong steps were taken on both sides, they provoked each other
According to Tarlev, the government is trying to show that it is strong at the moment, which displeases their opponents. At present, it is necessary to try to build a dialogue, and not aggravate the conflict situation.
“We need to approach the issue correctly. Nothing will be resolved from a position of force, provocations and mud-slinging. Now, during the pre-Easter fast, we need to be more understanding, we need to calm down,” Tarlev said with the hope that a common language will be found between the ruling and opposition forces.
I hope this is temporary. I think we can find common ground
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