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Monitoring Mass Media during the Campaign for Local General Elections of 5 June 2011: Case study No.2

Headlines

• "Moldova Azi" information portal is changing its format and editorial content, Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent, 8 August 2011, 15:19
• Moldovan students queue up to apply for scholarships in Romania, Info-Prim Neo, 4 August 2011, 13:44
• Ukrainian scholarships not very popular in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo, 2 August 2011, 14:58
• Kent Larson: USAID will always support process of Moldova democratization, INFOTAG, 1 August 2011, 13:42
• Parliament sets up new commission - for checking civil servants' property and incomes, INFOTAG, 29 July 2011, 9:00
• Scandal in Moldovan parliament over deputies' relatives, INFOTAG, 29 July 2011, 9:00

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Budget Irregularities When Ghimpu was Also Head of the Chisinau Municipal Council at the Mayor's Office

Author: anonymous

Moldova Suverană published the Audit Report on the Execution of the Municipal Budget for 2009 in a series of articles on May 19, 20, 24, 25 and 26. The first installment, which was not signed, was accompanied by an introduction that explained why the newspaper chose to republish this huge document in full without editing "even a comma." The author explained to the readers that the report was made when the Chisinau Mayor's Office was, "exclusively controlled by the Ghimpu and Chirtoacă families, a period when huge thefts were committed along with incompetent and negligent work."

Either out of incompetence or ill will, the anonymous author distorted reality and conveyed false messages to the readers. First of all, the title is tendentious and false. The report presents information from 2009, a period when Mihai Ghimpu was not head of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) as insinuated in the introduction. He was head of the CMC from October 2007 to June 2008.1 In fact, in January and February 2009, the period covered by this audit report, this position was held by Eduard Muşuc (currently MP from the PCRM) who headed CMC from June 2008 until February 2009. After his dismissal, 2 the CMC presidency was held by rotation, and a new president was elected only in the summer of 2010.2 For various reasons, however, the author does not mention this and puts the blame for the irregularities found on Ghimpu and Chirtoacă.

Note that the texts are very long and are accompanied by pictures of Ghimpu, Chirtoacă and Urechean. The use of those images next to a title and text that present various violations and fraudulent uses of public money aims to insinuate the idea that Ghimpu and Chirtoacă are to blame for what is mentioned in the report.
In conclusion, this series was of an obvious derogatory character and bore the risk of getting the newspaper sued for defamation and for spreading false information in bad faith.

References:

1. Mihai Ghimpu was legally elected to the position of head of the CMC: http://politicom.moldova.org/news/mihai-ghimpu-a-fost-ales-legal-in-functia-de-presedinte-al-cmc-129835-rom.html. Mihai Ghimpu's dismissal on the agenda of the CMC: http://www.protv.md/stiri/politic/demiterea-lui-mihai-ghimpu-pe-ordinea-de-zi-a-consiliului.html
2. Eduard Muşuc was dismissed by secret vote: http://www.azi.md/ro/story/1338. The head of the CMC was elected by rotation: http://www.capitala.md/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133%3Apreedinte-al-cmc-ales-prin-rotaie&Itemid=4⟨=ro
3. CMC has a new president: http://www.allmoldova.com/ro/moldova-news/society/1249050007.html