CMC could discuss again the issue of Antena C and Euro TV at its first meeting

The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) in its new composition could discuss at the first meeting the way the stations “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” were privatised. Several councillors told Info-Prim Neo that there is no agreement reached in this respect so far, but they are willing to re-examine the previous decision. According to the representative of the Democrat Party’s faction, Vladimir Filat, the municipal councillors could include this issue on the agenda of the first ordinary meeting of the CMC, which will take place on Thursday, June 28. On the same day, the councillors of the Party propose to re-examine the decisions on the distribution of lands made in May. “I hope that the commitments made in the election campaign will not remain only words. Both the newly elected mayor and the parties which announced they plan to create a coalition in the CMC have disputed the way the privatisation of the stations was carried out. The problem is not the constitutionality of the provisions included in the Audiovisual Code (AC), which was the ground for passing into private property the stations, but the transaction itself. We will discuss about the creation of a committee which will make an analysis and assess the transaction. Then we will decide what to do next,” Vladimir Filat said. The former deputy mayor of Chisinau, Mihai Furtuna, MNA councillor, said that he hasn’t discussed the issue with his faction colleagues yet, but he personally fully supports the initiative. “After the first meeting of the new council, things will become more clear”, the cited source said. President of the Social Democrat Party Eduard Musuc considers that the CMC in its new composition must re-examine the privatisation issue of the two stations. “Declaring as constitutional the provisions of the AC, by means of which the local administrations can not be founders of broadcasting institutions, does not mean that the privatisation of “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” was carried out in a proper manner”, Musuc said. He specified PSD will not forget its viewpoints voiced out in the election campaign, according to which the two stations should serve the interests of the CMC, and the CMC has the responsibility to identify solutions for guaranteeing this right. On the other hand, another deputy mayor, the councillor representing the Christian Democrat People’s Party considers it is not appropriate to re-examine the privatisation decision, because the legislation in operation was respected. At the same time, Corduneanu says that in case it is decided to create a new commission to analyse the correctness of the privatisation, PPCD faction will accept to cooperate. The former leader of the Party of Communists, councillor in this composition as well, Svetlana Popa asked to be called later for commentaries, after which she did not answer the phone. Previously, the new mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca told Info-Prim Neo that he will verify the procedure by means of which the former municipal radio and TV stations were privatised. “There is a chance to rehabilitate the two media institutions if revealing certain illegalities in the privatisation process. We will make this effort for sure”, Chirtoaca mentioned. Euro TV Chisinau and Antena C were privatised in January 2007. The decision of CMC stipulates passing those two stations into private control for MDL 2 mln in the case of the TV station and MDL 1.5 mln – for the radio station. The decision was disputed in Court by a group of stations’ staffers; it currently being examined by the Supreme Court of Justice. The Constitutional Court (CC) declared on Tuesday, June 26, as constitutional the provisions of the Audiovisual Code (AC), which constituted ground for the privatisation of “Euro TV Chisinau” and “Antena C”, thereby rejecting the petition filed by MNA MPs, Ion Plesca, Leonid Bujor and Anatol Onceanu.