Media nongovernmental organizations signed a statement by which they ask the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia not to allow interference in the work of the regional public broadcaster – Teleradio-Gagauzia. They call on the deputies of the regional legislature to return to the national and regional legal norms, IPN reports.

The signatories say that on July 8 the People’s Assembly adopted a decision whereby it terminated the contract with the president of Teleradio-Gagauzia Ecaterina Jekova, whose tenure expired in October 2012. Ecaterina Terzi, who is a member of the company’s Supervisory Board, was named as acting president. According to the media NGOs, these decisions run counter to the national and regional legislation on the work of the regional public broadcaster, whose editorial independence is guaranteed by law. The managers of Teleradio-Gagauzia are fired and hired only by the Supervisory Board.

The signatories also said that given that the president’s tenure expired, the Supervisory Board is to announce a public contest, while the People’s Assembly has the obligation to ensure the functionality of the Supervisory Board by designating the members of this managing body of the company.

The media NGOs ask the State Chancellery of Moldova, the Parliament’s commission on culture, education, research, youth, sport and mass media and the Broadcasting Coordination Council to intervene and determine the deputies of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia to stop interfering in the work of the regional public broadcaster.

The statement was signed by the Association of Independent Press, the Independent Journalism Center, the Youth Center “Piligrim-Demo” from Gagauzia, the Electronic Press Association “APEL” and the Journalistic Investigations Center.