Irina Vlah wins elections of governor of south Moldova Gagauz autonomy with about 92 per cent of votes

Chisinau, 1 July /MOLDPRES/ - Irina Vlah by far won the elections of the bashkan (governor) on 30 June, getting 91.93 per cent of the votes. A businessman and MP of the People’s Assembly (local parliament) of the Autonomous Territorial Unit Gagauz-Yeri (UTA Gagauz-Yeri), Serghei Cimpoies, is on the second position with 7.27 per cent of the suffrages. The candidates Ivan Burgudji and Dmitri Manol grabbed less than one per cent of the votes.

The ballot took place in the Gagauz autonomy on 30 June and was watched by 192 observers. A group of experts on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has already said that the polls “were held freely, in accordance with the democratic norms and principles.”  

More officials from Russia and Turkey congratulated the re-elected bashkan on 1 July till the noon.  

Irina Vlah was born in Comrat on 26 February 1974. She has legal education. Starting from 15 April 2015, Vlah has been holding the office of governor of UTA Gagauz-Yeri. She is the first woman to hold this position.  

Irina Vlah was lawmaker in Moldova’s parliament beginning with 2005, each time elected on the lists of the Party of Communists (PCRM). After the November 2014 parliamentary elections, at the first meeting of the newly elected parliament, Irina Vlah said she was leaving the PCRM and remained an independent MP.  

On 22 March 2015, Irina Vlah was elected bashkan of the autonomous region with 51.01 per cent of the votes.