Pauls' Revere
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https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-gagauz-referendum-counting/25251251.html
An overwhelming majority of voters in a referendum held in the autonomous Moldovan region of Gagauzia have voted for integration with a Russia-led customs union.
The chairwoman of Gagauzia's election commission, Valentina Lisnic, said on February 3 that 98.4 percent of voters chose closer relations with the CIS Customs Union.
In a separate question, 97.2 percent were against closer EU integration.
In addition, 98.9 percent of voters supported Gagauzia's right to declare independence should Moldova lose or surrender its own independence.
Turnout was more than 70 percent in the February 2 vote.
Lisnic added that no polling violations had been registered during the referendum. She said ballots in some remote districts of the autonomous region were still being counted.
Gagauzia has a population of about 155,000 people, mostly ethnically Gagauz, Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians.
Many locals fear that Chisinau's EU-integration agenda masks an intention to unite Moldova with neighboring Romania.
Chisinau initialed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the bloc in November 2013.
As the European integration policy has accelerated, the Russian-supported breakaway region of Transdniester has rumbled increasingly loudly. Recently it adopted Russian legislation, a clear signal of the region's preference for joining Moscow's customs union.
Now Gaugazia's referendum has added to the pressure on the central government.
The central government had tried to stop the referendum, which it sees as a challenge to the country's territorial integrity.
An overwhelming majority of voters in a referendum held in the autonomous Moldovan region of Gagauzia have voted for integration with a Russia-led customs union.
The chairwoman of Gagauzia's election commission, Valentina Lisnic, said on February 3 that 98.4 percent of voters chose closer relations with the CIS Customs Union.
In a separate question, 97.2 percent were against closer EU integration.
In addition, 98.9 percent of voters supported Gagauzia's right to declare independence should Moldova lose or surrender its own independence.
Turnout was more than 70 percent in the February 2 vote.
Lisnic added that no polling violations had been registered during the referendum. She said ballots in some remote districts of the autonomous region were still being counted.
Gagauzia has a population of about 155,000 people, mostly ethnically Gagauz, Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians.
Many locals fear that Chisinau's EU-integration agenda masks an intention to unite Moldova with neighboring Romania.
Chisinau initialed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the bloc in November 2013.
As the European integration policy has accelerated, the Russian-supported breakaway region of Transdniester has rumbled increasingly loudly. Recently it adopted Russian legislation, a clear signal of the region's preference for joining Moscow's customs union.
Now Gaugazia's referendum has added to the pressure on the central government.
The central government had tried to stop the referendum, which it sees as a challenge to the country's territorial integrity.
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