Only quorum has been at Supervisory Board’s meetings during five months

Since the start of this year, the meetings of the Supervisory Board (SB) of the National Public Broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova” have involved only five members. This is the minimum admissible number or the quorum, though the Broadcasting Code says that this institution is composed of nine members. At the last meeting that was held last weekend, the attending members expressed their dissatisfaction that the Board’s activity is criticized, the National Broadcaster is criticized, but nobody asks what internal problems they face, Info-Prim Neo reports. At the meeting, the SB president Mariana Slapac said that she “does not understand the reaction of the officials who, during five months, have not appointed another three Board members instead of the members whose term in office expired last yearend. She also said that she addressed a number of letters to the authorities, but received no answer. She added that another member of the Board, Igor Munteanu, the executive director of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul”, has not attended the meetings for over a year, accusing him of trying thus to block the activity of the SB. “We come together for the meetings with difficulty because we are away or somebody is sick. At the beginning, Igor Munteanu made different kinds of statements and accusations. For about a year, he has been absent, though he could come and work with us. Today, we are in a situation when the Parliament forgot about us, while Munteanu does not attend,” Mariana Slapac said, adding that Igor Munteanu was always allowed to express his opinion. She also said that the new Parliament should review the Broadcasting Code so as to improve the procedure for electing the new members or extend the terms in office of some members until other members are appointed instead. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Igor Munteanu denied the accusation that he boycotted the meetings, saying that he did not attend in protest against the pressure exerted on him by the administration of “Teleradio-Moldova”. In addition, a year and a half ago he was sued by the president of “Teleradio-Moldova” Valentin Todercan for “harming his dignity and honor”. Todercan asked 2.6 million lei in damages. Asked about the reasons of this trial, Igor Munteanu answered: “I will not take part in the meetings of the Supervisory Board until I am involved in a case initiated by a person holding an administrative post that is within the jurisdiction of the members of this Supervisory Board.” He described the trial as tendentious, political and irrelevant. According to Igor Munteanu, he was sued because he repeatedly said that the editorial policy of the public broadcaster is disastrous, while the financial-budget situation leaves much to be desired. “Being permanently dependent on money, the director proposed no managerial solutions. In order to prove my statements, I carried out an analysis at the end of 2007. Todercan took it as a personal insult and sued us” (Ion Munteanu and the former member of the Board Veaceslav Ionita, economic expert at IDIS “Viitorul” – e.n.), he said. Munteanu also said that the present administration of “Teleradio-Moldova” accepts no criticism. “In their virtual world, everything is orderly and fair. They do not accept event the criticism leveled by the European Parliament and do not allow a rigorous control on the part of the public. They also do not admit that they are fallible and can commit mistakes.” Igor Munteanu’s term in office expires in a year. He said he did not leave the post as he expects a favorable situation when the opinion and experience will be taken into account when reforming the public broadcaster. He also said that he would have probably attended the meetings if he had not been on trial.