(MENAFN) The Moldovan government has stripped the autonomous region of Gagauzia of its authority to appoint its own prosecutor general, escalating political tensions between the central government and the opposition-led area. The move comes after the recent arrest of Gagauzia’s governor, Yevgenia Gutsul, a critic of pro-EU President Maia Sandu.

Gagauzia, a region populated by Turkish-speaking Orthodox Christians, has a constitutional status granting it a degree of self-governance. However, Moldova’s Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that the power to appoint the regional prosecutor general lies with a national authority, rejecting the region’s legislative right to nominate candidates. This decision, brought forward by national Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu, is binding and cannot be appealed.

The Superior Council of Prosecutors hailed the court's ruling as aligning Gagauzia’s legal procedures with national standards. Munteanu called the decision a return to legal order.

Tensions intensified last month when Gutsul was detained over alleged irregularities in her 2023 election campaign. She criticized the arrest as politically motivated, accusing the central government of targeting the region for backing opposition figures like herself.

President Sandu, a dual Moldovan-Romanian citizen pushing for EU membership, won reelection last year amid accusations of election manipulation. In Gagauzia, the majority supported her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo. Critics claim Sandu’s government enabled voting in diaspora regions where she was favored and restricted participation in areas backing her rival.

Sandu has justified her policies as necessary to counteract “pro-Russian” influences, a stance she’s used to justify a broader crackdown on opposition groups and critical media.

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