Journalists boycott reception of interim General Mayor

A number of journalists have left in protest the reception given by interim general mayor of the capital on the occasion of the winter holidays. After the traditional suite of carols and congratulations offered by “Mostenitorii” group from “Mihail Sadoveanu” Lyceum, director of “Jurnal de Chisinau” newspaper, Val Butnaru urged journalists to leave the reception “as sign of protest against the methods used for closing down “Antena C” and “Euro TV” and as sign of solidarity with the journalists from the two municipal stations”. Director of “Timpul de Dimineată” daily, Constantin Tanase said in turn that “as long as the two staffs are at risk of being thrown in the street, I think it is immoral to stay here”. Requested by Info-Prim Neo, Constantin Tanase said it was a symbolic gesture to warn once more about the problem existing in Antena C and Euro TV, and as a general matter, the issue of freedom of expression in Moldova. The colleagues from “Ziarul de Garda”, “Info-Prim Neo” News Agency, “Antena C” radio station, “TV 7”, “DTV” and “PRO TV” channels, who refused to attend the reception, made common cause with journalists from “Timpul de dimineata” and “Jurnal de Chisinau”. Interim mayor Vasile Ursu told the journalists who remained in the hall that it gives him great pleasure to stay together, “freer than on the other days marked by a tension that someone wants to provoke us”. He disapproved the journalists’ gesture, “because even those who have ever done worse things were forgiven”. Vasile Ursu appreciated with A or B marks the relations between the City Hall and the press in 2006.