The media nongovernmental organizations are deeply concerned about the unprecedented attacks leveled in the Parliament of Moldova at the television channel Pro TV Chisinau on October 23, 2008. These attacks can cost the channel its broadcast license and will hinder the holding of free and fair elections in Moldova, the NGOs say in a joint statement in which they make common cause with Pro TV Chisinau. The statement reminds that the MP of the Christian Democratic People’s Party Stefan Secareanu accused Pro TV of being a channel {“that attacks, undermines, discredits and blames the state institutions, specializes in calumnies and free labeling and intentionally provokes artificial instability and panic in the society.”} He also said that the work of Pro TV {“forms part of multiple scenarios aimed at undermining Moldova’s national interests devised by the country’s enemies from abroad,"} demanding that the police determine who the owner of this post is and {“what kind of relations exist between this television channel, its owners from outside the country and certain politicians, given the channel’s flagrant lack of independence and equidistance towards some of these.”} For his part, the unaffiliated MP Vladimir Braga expressed his dissatisfaction with the content of the debate program of October 20, saying that {“the public opinion was manipulated and told want parties to choose at the 2009 parliamentary elections.”} He demanded that the Broadcasting Coordination Council probe whether Pro TV violated the legislation through this program, {“given that such topics are often debated by this television channel and that the election campaign has not been yet officially opened.”} It is for the first time that the MPs make such serious accusations against this channel that has worked on the information market of Moldova for nine years. These accusations were not accompanied by arguments, references to news items or the results of a study, the statement says. The media NGOs call attention to the fact that the monitoring carried out during the electoral campaigns and the recent monitorings of the way in which the mass media in Moldova cover corruption show the opposite of Secareanu’s statements: Pro TV Chisinau is one of the few equidistant and unbiased channels in Moldova that respect the principle of pluralism and reflects different points of view, offering access not only to representatives of the authorities but also to the parties allied to the ruling party and the representatives of the Opposition and the civil society. Also, as a professional channel, Pro TV uses several sources in controversial topics. “We are inclined to believe that the October 23 attacks on Pro TV Chisinau are connected with the future parliamentary elections and with the fact that the license of this channel expires in December 2008. We thus witness the initiation of a campaign aimed at discrediting the given channel in order to easier justify its closure by offering the license to another broadcaster, as in the cases of Pervyi kanal v Moldove, Blue Star (Balti), TVR1,” the representatives of the civil society warn. “Given that transparency of mass media ownership is an acute problem in Moldova we must note that this thing applies not only to Pro TV, but also to the other radio stations and television channels in Moldova, including those that support different parties.” According to the authors of the statement, “Secareanu’s and Braga’s assertions are part of a scenario designed to liquidate an important media outlet, whose policy is not dictated by the present government or its allies. In fact, this is an attempt to indirectly rig the 2009 legislative elections made by the current government coalition that has a monopoly on the radio stations and television channels with national coverage, including the public channel Moldova 1. If Pro TV is removed, the power’s monopoly on the information market will be absolute as the other two television channels to which the Opposition parties have access have neither the coverage nor the audience of Pro TV Chisinau. “The statements made by Stefan Secareanu are regrettable given that he heads the parliamentary commission for human rights and should give an example by observing the freedom of the press and the people’s right to information himself.” The media organizations express their solidarity with Pro TV Chisinau and call on the mass media, the civil society and the political parties to make common cause and defend the freedom of the press and democracy so as not to admit the liquidation or appropriation by the power of another television channel, as it happened with Antena C and Euro TV, TVR1, Pervy kanal v Moldove, Bue Star (Balti). They call on the EU, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the embassies working in Moldova to support democracy in Moldova. The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Young Journalist’s Center of Moldova, the Electronic Press Association of Moldova, the Association of Independent Press, “Acces-info” Center, the Journalists’ Union of Moldova, and the Press Freedom Committee.