New BCC members sworn in

The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) has welcomed three new members after they were appointed by Parliament at its meeting on Thursday. The Communist group didn't vote, complaining of procedural violations in selecting candidates, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Communist MP Anatolie Zagorodnyi, the candidates were supposed to be selected by the parliamentary Commission on Culture and Media together with the Legal Commission, but only the former Commission did the selection, coordinating the decision with the latter subsequently. Culture Commission head Chiril Lucinschi said this was common practice and basically there was no breach of procedure. The newly appointed BCC members are Iurie Colesnic, Olga Barbalata and Cristina Mitu. Communist Artur Reshetnikov, who said that Iurie Colesnic is politically affiliated with the Liberal Party, asked the two other members of any political allegiance. Olga Barbalata and Cristina Mitu said they were politically neutral. Iurie Colesnic was proposed to the post by the Writers Union. Iurie Colesnic, 57, was recommended by the Writers Union, whose member he's been since 1998. He was editor-in-chief and art director of the Animafilm Studios, director of the Museographic Center M. Kogalniceanu, and director of the publishing house Universitas. Olga Barbalata, 33, is a lecturer at the Moldova State University, the Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences.Cristina Mitu, 26, is spokesperson for the Correctional Department. The new members took their oaths of service, swearing to respect the Constitution. Colesnic, Barbalata and Mitu are replacing Gheorghe Gorincioi, Corneliu Mihalache and Ludmila Vasilache, whose terms on the BCC expired. The new members will serve for a term of 6 years.