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On Wednesday, 11 December, Cabinet of Ministers approved the dismissal of Valeriu Renita, director of the Moldovan representation of ‘MIR’ Interstate Company, on the basis of the resignation application. During the same meeting, Government proposed the candidature of Stanislav Vijga for this position.
Both Government Decisions are to be submitted to the Board of Directors of ‘MIR’ Interstate Company.
Stanislav Vijga is the director of Accent TV, afiliated to the Party of Socialists. According to the Report on Monitoring the Media Behavior during the Election Campaign for the Parliamentary Elections of 24 February, developed by the Independent Journalism Center and Association of Independent Press, Accent TV favoured PSRM and President Igor Dodon. The same behavior was also noted during the election campaign for general local elections in autumn, when Accent TV favoured the PSRM candidate in Chisinau municipality.
Through this appointment, Government continues the ‘harmful practice’ of designating a person affiliated to those in power, to the top position of Moldovan office of ‘Mir’, commented for Media-azi.md Ion Bunduchi, media expert and the executive director of the Electronic Press Association.
‘It will be very good if representative is appointed in this position through a public competition, even if he or she is designated on the basis of rules other than national ones, because we speak about international agreements’ Ion Bunduchi says. According to the expert, that is because MIR ‘should promote truths about the Republic of Moldova and should not be a spokesperson of the government’.
Furthermore, Ion Bunduchi argues that functioning of this interstate institution should be reconsidered. Namely, its core should no longer be permanently in Moscow, where the editorial policy is organised. ‘The head office of MIR is situated in Moscow. Then, not to undermine institution’s authority, Moscow decides what information each ex-Soviet republic must receive. The best solution is to transfer the head office, through rotation, in each Member State, once in every few years’, Ion Bunduchi believes.
According to its official website – www.mirtv.ru – ‘The Interstate Broadcasting Company “MIR” was created in 1992 through the Agreement of CIS heads of state, in order to cover political, economic and humanitarian cooperation, to create a common information space and facilitate the international exchange of information’.
