AMN says the decision on the privatisation of “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” blatantly violates the law

The reorganisation of the municipal stations “Antena C” and Euro TV Chisinau” is carried out with serious violations of the legislation. In order to execute a political order - privatisation of the two stations - the Broadcasting Coordinating Council, Christian-democrat and communist factions from the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC), and the interim mayor are forced to violate the legislation, is said in a statement of the parliamentary faction of “Moldova Noastra” Alliance (AMN), made public by the MP Anatol Onceanu at the plenary sitting of the Parliament on Thursday, December 21. According to the statement, there is no legal justification for the privatisation of “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau”. “The article 66(2) of the Broadcasting Code prohibits the local authorities from being founders of private broadcasters, without including any provisions that would prohibit from creating public broadcasters. At the same time, the article 11(1) of the Law on Local Public Administration allows second level units “to sustain exhibitions, theatres, public TV stations and other institutions”. MNA notes that the CMC, through its decision on the reorganisation of “Antena C” and “Euro TV” via alienation and investment contest, has blatantly violated the provisions of the 73rd article of the Civil Code, which stipulates that the reorganisation can be carried out only via merger, dismemberment or transformation – which has nothing in common with privatisation, alienation or auctions. Another violation according to MNA is the abusive dismissal of the directors of the two stations. This action violates the article 20 and 21 of the Law on Local Public Administration which stipulate that such an action can be initiated only by the general mayor or by one third of the elected councillors. Also, the 86th article of the Labour Code was violated. It requires grounded reasons for the dismissal. The disruption of Antena C’s broadcasting, based on formal reasons, and the involvement of the police to “clear” the journalists from their workplaces; ill-treatment of the MPs, municipal councillors, journalists and the citizens who came to protect the freedom of speech and right to information; censorship of station’s programmes completed, according to MNA, the list of unlawful actions. In the statement is also said that the two stations inconvenienced the government and its allies, being the only sources of alternative information with major impact, which respected the principles of equidistance and impartiality, presented different standpoints, offered equal access both to the representatives of the government and the opposition, citizens and civil society. “The plans of Rosca-Voronin coalition are to institute political and private control over the municipal stations “Antena C” and “Euro TV”. “Moldova Noastra” Alliance hopes that the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, all the diplomatic missions, the national and international organizations dealing with the protection of the freedom of press and human rights, as well as the whole civil society will take an attitude as regards these unlawful actions and will take action in order to determine the present government of Moldova to comply with the rules of democracy and rule of law.