Reorganisation of local public institutions is carried out in the interest of PPCD and PCRM – municipal councillors

A number of municipal councillors state that the reorganisation of the municipal stations “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” is carried out in the interest of the leaders of the Communist and People’s Christian Democrat parties. “There are rumours that the People’s Christian Democrat Party (PPCD), namely its leader Iurie Rosca, would like to privatize the municipal radio station “Antena C”, and the communists – “Euro TV Chisinau”. We would not like to believe in such prospects, but considering the insistence of PPCD councillors, when the Municipal Council approved the decision on the reorganisation, this interest became clear”, municipal councillor Oleg Cernei stated at a press conference organized on Tuesday, December 5. According to Cernei, the situation which occurred in the Parliament of Moldova this summer, when the Audiovisual Code had been approved, was in fact an agreement between the ruling party and its allies from PPCD. “The expertise of the European Council mentioned about the fact that the Parliament should more clearly stipulate the situation of the local broadcasting institutions. At that moment, PPCD and PCRM unveiled their real interest – to ensure via the Code a sort of legitimacy for the liquidation of the 2 public stations”, the councillor added. At the same conference, the independent councillor Mihai Roscovan stated that during the period when he was the leader of CMC’s Christian-Democrat faction, the initiative on halting the financing of the two stations was coming from Iurie Rosca. Roscovan stated that back then the PPCD faction tried to convince Rosca about the utility of the stations, about the fact that they mirrored fairly the events, managing to do so in the 2005 electoral campaign as well. Roscovan says that at present, the reorganisation of the 2 institutions is carried out in a hurry in order to execute certain orders. “Since Vasile Ursu is holding the office of interim Mayor, the CMC and the City Hall became the instruments of the Communist Party”, he emphasized. The cited sources also stated that the blame for the reorganisation of the two stations by alienation belongs to the interim mayor Vasile Ursu, who included this issue in the agenda, despite the fact that it would have been appropriate to propose an optimal reorganisation solution, and to discuss with the representatives of the civil society and with the members of the Audiovisual Coordinating Council. The councillors stated that the decision stipulating the reorganisation via alienation violates the legislation. More, this decision was not yet signed by the chairman of the session dated Monday, December 4. however the Inventory Commission already started its activity on the basis of Mayor’s order. This fact shows that the liquidation of the municipal broadcasting stations is wanted as fast as possible, the councillors stated. The cited sources announced at the press conference that 18 councillors, including them, solicited the organization of an extraordinary session of CMC on December 7, in order to discuss again about the reorganization of the two municipal broadcasting stations. They asked for the creation of a commission composed of councillors, the directors of the 2 stations and the representatives of the civil society who would propose other reorganization solutions to CMC. The councillors do not exclude the possibility of taking legal actions against this decision of the CMC. Communist and Christian-Democrat councillors in the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) approved on Thursday, November 30 the decision on the reorganization via alienation of the municipal broadcasting stations “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau”. The issue was discussed for more than 4 hours within the Council’s session, and the decision displeased several councillors who left the sitting room as a token of protest. The decision includes the reorganization via alienation of the two stations. Also, the document stipulates the creation of a reorganisation commission, which is composed of the interim mayor, 2 civil servants of the City Hall and the leaders of the 4 CMC factions. Within 2 weeks the commission has to perform the inventory process, to select an independent auditor for the estimation of the property and to alien the stations. Local authorities aren’t allowed anymore to be the founders of electronic media institutions after the new Audiovisual Code entered in effect.