Journalists block CMC session as protest against intention to dismiss directors Antena C and Euro TV

Journalists from the municipal stations ”Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” blocked the extraordinary session of the Municipal Council of Chisinau (CMC) on Thursday, December 14, after the leader of the PPCD faction, Alexandru Corduneanu, proposed the dismissal of the directors of the two stations, Vasile State and Arcadie Gherasim, Info-Prim Neo reports. The director of the “Antena C” radio station, Vasile State, stated that, earlier, the interim mayor Vasile Ursu proposed another decision draft, which provides for the organization of investment contests concerning the stations’ selling. The draft has been rejected by those 18 councillors who solicited that the extraordinary session is summoned and that the representatives of the companies’ staffs are also included in the reorganization commission. However, the session’s chairman, communist councillor Victor Odobescu forwarded several times Ursu’s draft for voting, which was to be accepted as the basic one. In the meantime, the leader of the PPCD faction Alexandru Corduneanu proposed that the directors of the 2 stations are dismissed. The proposal generated the revolt of the journalists and those 18 councillors. Under the chants of “Shame!”, Ursu, together with several communist and Christian democrat councillors retired in another session hall for consultations. At least 26 policemen blocked the entry to the room, pushing several journalists. Neither did they allow AMN and independent councillors, nor those from PPCD who did not succeed to make it into the room at the beginning. After a certain period everyone returned to the session room. The director of “Antena C” Vasile State says that initially some of the councillors allowed the directors of the stations to make their speeches, accepted in the end, under the pressure of the journalists and the other councillors. In their speeches, both directors pleaded for instituting a moratorium on adopting the decision, given the fact that the previous decision, dated November 30, contains a series of provisions breaking the legislation. “We proposed that the councillors do not hurry with their decision and institute a commission composed would include the member of the staffs”, added Vasile State live on the Antena C radio station. The same proposal has been made yesterday by those 18 councillors, but the chairman of the session, Victor Odobescu, was repeatedly focusing on Ursu’s draft, until that moment when the mayor, violating the Regulations, handed the PPCD leader the official report for signing. The councillors revolted because the documents had not been prepared for the extraordinary session. AMN faction and the independent councillors solicited a break, which was accepted after another session of debates.