Moldova: frozen conflict

Parliamentary elections are being held in one of Europe's more obscure places on Sunday: Moldova's south-eastern autonomous region of Gagauzia, which centres on Comrat (population 30,000), 50 miles south of Chisinau. 

The Gagauz are ethnic Turks who converted to Orthodox Christianity.  Like Transnistria's Russian-speakers, the Gagauz feared Moldova might be swallowed up by Romania when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.  Unlike Transnistria, Gagauzia reached a modus vivendi with Chisinau, gaining autonomy in December 1994.  One solution to Moldova's 'frozen conflict' is a federal state with Transnistria and Gagauzia as constituents; for this reason, Moldovans suspect the pro-Russian Gagauz of supporting further dismemberment of the country.

Local democracy is flourishing in Gagauzia, judging by the 160 candidates running for the 35-seat People's Assembly.  Half are independents; the Communists, in power in Chisinau, form the largest party-affiliated group (26 candidates).  However, there are few signs of campaigning before the vote, probably because the area is poor and getting little help from the centre.

Tensions between the governor, Mihail Formuzal, and Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin have led to Chisinau withholding Russian humanitarian aid to Gagauzia following last summer's drought.  Chisinau would like to influence the vote to produce a more compliant local parliament, with Formuzal complaining that the withholding of Russian humanitarian aid aimed at boosting the Communist candidates.