Journalists and experts condemn aggressive tone of Mihai Ghimpu’s statements

The administration of “Adevarul” Holding is deeply concerned about the aggressive tone of the statements made by the Liberal Party leader Mihai Ghimpu in the program “In profunzime“ (“In Depth”) on Pro TV Chisinau channel in the evening of January 28. The Association of Independent Press considers the politician’s behavior is inadmissible and describes it as attempt to intimidate the journalists, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a statement issued by “Adevarul” Holding, the Moldovan lawmaker reacted aggressively to the statements of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Adevarul” Moldova Alina Turcanu, who criticized the late reaction of the politicians to the hiding of the tragic hunting incident that resulted in the death of a man. “Instated of making clear his position, Mihai Ghimpu answered by accusations to the ‘bought press’, insinuated that “Adevarul” Moldova conducts a paid campaign against him and insulted our colleague. We draw the general public’s opinion that such assertions are even more regrettable because they were made by a politician who held the highest post in the state earlier. Mister Ghimpu probably thinks that being an impartial journalist means criticizing everyone except him and his party,” it is said in the statement. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, the executive director of the Association of Independent Press Petru Macovei said that a politician, especially one who represents the ruling alliance that made certain commitments at internal and external levels, including to ensure the freedom of the press, cannot have such a behavior. “What Mister Ghimpu did in the program was full lack of respect for the few journalists of Moldova who behaved professionally, carried out investigations into the incident in the Domneasca Forest and did not count on certain statements only . I’m personally revolted at Mister Ghimpu’s behavior. Colleagues from mass media public associations also expressed their bewilderment today,” he stated. Corneliu Gurin, expert of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, has told Info-Prim Neo that when the former president of the Supreme Court of Justice Ion Muruianu named the journalists rabid dogs, many persons, including Mihai Ghimpu, initiated Muruianu’s dismissal. The Liberal leader’s behavior in this case didn’t differ much from the behavior of Mister Muruianu. “Moreover, Mihai Ghimpu made allusions that he knows denigrating facts that can put the work of the journalists in an unfavorable light. This thing can be considered a kind of blackmail. In essence, the behavior of Ghimpu and other politicians shows that maybe the only accomplishment of the Democratic government is that the freedom of the press is a freedom of stating, not yet the subsequent effect. The intolerance to criticism and the unwillingness to take measures and react to what the mass media and society say remained,” he said. In the program on Pro TV, Mihai Ghimpu said the Moldovan journalists started a denigrating campaign against him and made him a scapegoat for all the failures of the ruling alliance. The question that irritated the politician was: Why didn’t he intervene promptly in the Falesti incident as an MP, party leader and former head of state?