Media Azi cartoon: Mayor Ion Ceban, angry at the press that addresses the city’s problems

At the March 13 meeting of Chisinau city hall services, mayor Ion Ceban dedicated part of his speech to journalists who address topics related to the way in which some of the municipality’s problems are dealt with. “Lies!” “Nonconformities!” “Half measures!” “Made-up investigations!” “Nonsense!” “Crass manipulation!” the mayor kept saying. 

Ion Ceban was disturbed by news, reports and investigations published or broadcast recently. “I counted 311 negative news stories last week about what is being done in Chisinau,” the mayor said indignantly. He did not like, for example, materials about the problems of the water treatment plant and the Bic River. Journalists even “sailed with boats on Bic,” he explained displeased. He was also puzzled by the media coverage of unrepaired sidewalks in the city center or bridges in the municipality. In particular, Ion Ceban “sent greetings” to TV8 journalist Veronica Gherbovețchi, producer of the “Moldova’s Thinking” show. Because “she is looking for faults in everything,” Ion Ceban threatened her with legal action. 

Moreover, he made a connection between “affiliated” media and the campaign for the local elections, claiming that the media that write about the problems in the capital are used as a tool in this “electoral hunt”, and “so much stupidity and so much lie, widely circulated by the so-called independent media, can no longer be tolerated!”