Disputes on the future of municipal broadcastings stations continue in the Municipal Council

The communist faction from the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) accuses those who support “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” that they have hidden interests. The allegations were made by Svetlana Popa, the head of the faction. Popa read the statement of the Communist Party at the extraordinary session of the CMC, which was organized at the request of one third of councillors in order to debate the reorganization via alienation of the municipal broadcasting stations. According to the cited source, the decision dated November 30 generated “an outbreak of statements coming from some persons and political parties that call themselves, with a lot of insolence, the protectors of the freedom of speech and freedom of media, fact that according to the communists shows that they have hidden plans. Also, Popa said that the two stations, which are “fed” by the inhabitants of Chisinau, were always used by the former leadership of the City Hall headed by Serafim Urecheanu. The head of the communist councillors says that according to this logic, the majority faction of the CMC has to be the most interested in maintaining the stations, in order to promote its interests, however they plead in favour of removing the influence levers the CMC has over the media institutions “so they do not favour the government party over the opposition”. “The City Hall can not allow itself the luxury to spend money when serious social problems are still not solved”, Popa added. As a retort, the councillor of “Ravnopravie” Social-Political Movement, Valeri Climenci said that the communists have no right to speak in the name of all inhabitants of Chisinau because PCRM gained 18% of the votes in Chisinau. Climenco qualified the action of the communist faction and its Christian-Democrat allies as an obvious political decision, stating that he is revolted at the fact that the two factions did not ask the inhabitants of Chisinau if they want to have and to finance the two stations. “By making such decisions without consulting the people, you act as highwaymen”, the councillor stated. The cited source says that “Ravnopravie” will support any protest actions undertaken by the staffs of “Antena C”, “Euro TV” and their supporters. Although the extraordinary session of the CMC was organized at the request of 17 councillors in order to discuss again the future of the municipal stations, the interim mayor introduced 16 more issues on the agenda, the majority of them land-related.