"The Central Election Commission of Gagauzia, based on preliminary data … has summed up the preliminary results: Yevgenia Gutsul - 14,890 votes, Grigory Uzun - 14,849," the CEC said in a statement.
The voter turnout in the Sunday election of the governor of Moldova's Gagauzia was over 57%, according to CEC, so the election was declared valid (at least 50% turnout was needed).
The election of Gagauzia's head (Bashkan of Gagauzia) took place in Moldova's pro-Russian southern autonomy on Sunday, with eight candidates on the ballot. Incumbent Governor Irina Vlah is not eligible for reelection since she has already served two consecutive terms.
If none of the candidates receives over 50% of the votes, a runoff will be held in two weeks.
Gagauzia, where most people speak Russian as well as the Turkish-linked Gagauz language, declared independence from the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990 but was integrated into Moldova in 1994. The Gagauz people are Orthodox Christians of Turkic origin.