GRT Public Company from Gagauzia Has a New General Manager Who Is a Lawyer at an Association Affiliated with Ilan Sor

The Supervisory Board of Gagauziya Radio Televizionu (GRT) appointed Vasile Dermenji as the executive director of the public company, according to the press release published by GRT.

In July 2023, the GRT Council launched the competition for this post after it became vacant in June. At that point, Vadim Anastasov, the ex-director, announced his resignation without citing any reason. Two other candidates, Maria Perebikovskaia and Feodor Dobrov, also filed their documents for the post of director. Maria Perebikovskaia did not attend the contest held on Monday, August 14.

Vasile Dermenji is 29. He graduated from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, majoring in Law. Previously, he was employed as a lawyer with the MSA Finance. Since 2019, he held the post of a lawyer at the “Pentru Orhei” Association. The organization was registered in 2015 and is known to be affiliated with the Sor Party. Eight years ago, Radio Orhei reported from an extraordinary meeting of the Orhei Town Council where Ilan Sor, the Sor Party leader, presented the organization as the institution financing his electoral promises. The administrator of the association is currently Marian Nicolai, administrator of the OrheiLand amusement park which is mentioned on the website of Orhei Mayor’s Office, the website of Orhei District Council, and in the political party’s press releases as Ilan Sor’s project.

Vasile Dermenji will assume the mandate of GRT executive director on August 18.

“It would be logical to draw a parallel between the appointment of the executive director of the public broadcaster and the Sor Party’s political project in Gagauzia. In this context, to exclude political influence on the GRT company’s independent activity, it is important for the deputies to study the procedure for electing the executive director. Unfortunately, this procedure was held behind closed doors, without being broadcast live,” Alexandru Tarnovschi, deputy of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, comments in his blog.

“I worked at the ‘Pentru Orhei’ Association, but that doesn’t mean I’ll keep being active within the framework of this organization. They are not related to each other. I’m not obliged to convince anyone of anything,” GRT new executive director said when asked by Media Azi how he would ensure the public company’s editorial independence.