TVR (Romanian Public Television Network) president Valentin Nicolau announced in yesterday's news conference intention to resign. Today Nicolau is to send his resignation letter to President of Romanian Senate Nicolae Vacaroiu and President of the Chamber of Deputy Adrian Nastase. The letter has it that Nicolau's decision is caused by "political pressure on himself and TVR, politician's obsession not to make TVR avoid political orders by their refusal to modify the law on the functioning and structure of SRTV (the Romanian Public Television Network) and SRR (the Romanian Public Radio Posts Network), as well as by faking the real activity of TVR in the latest years by making up commission for inquiry and turning TVR into an object for political exchange and the show on replacing TVR leading board." The letter also mentions he wants to avoid spending some time as interim president, which he considers to be harmful for the Institution Nicolau accuses the officials at rule of political and economical interests in the functioning of the public television, which the later would like to control. He claims present officials have even refused to abide by European standards on the functioning of TVR because of the early elections perspective and out of "need to make up the real face of a weak and loss-causing governing." Nicolau also says that his he has felt offended in his dignity because of the way the parliamentary commission for inquiry has been has been doing research on him. He says this has reminded him of the questioning in the 50's, which is why he has given a study on Stalin as present to Liberal deputy Raluca Turcan, head of commission. He says he has decided to leave out of affection for TVR, which he has fundamentally reformed in the last three years, leading it to flourishing financial state and rating (as TVR is second at national level). Nicolau says that in 2004 TVR had a raw profit of 17 billion Euro, as well as a current account almost as large. (�) Basescu and Tariceanu overtly accused This has been the first time the General President of TVR has overtly accused Traian Basescu and Calin Popescu Tariceanu of having "personal reasons" to get control on the institution he is head of. But he has categorically refused to give details. He has only said: "Take a look at the 1997 advertising contracts between Tariceanu's companies and TVR and you will have the answer." He has also refraining from giving details on the terms between PNL (the National Liberal Party) and PD (the Democrat Party) officials and commercial TV channels (he has probably alluded to Antena 1 private TV station, the main opponent of TVR and the "tool" of the Conservatory Party). He has postponed all talk about it till after he has actually left TVR. Yesterday Lucian Sarb, Head of the TVR News Department, announced resignation as well, as reaction to the resignation of the TVR President. Valentin Nicolau has not commented on his employee's decision. Still he has called this decision a hasty one and added he does not want TVR employee to take his example. Reports on the activity of SRTV in 2003 and 2004 are to be debated by the two Parliament Chambers on Tuesday. Government sees this as tragicomedy As reply, the government has claimed that Nicolau "prefers cheap tragicomedy instead of simply resigning, in case his consciousness pleases so." The press release explains: "It is tragic that Mr. Valentin Nicolau made no objections and took up silence in complicity when confronted to the complete control that Nastase's government had on TVR till a different power came to rule at the end of 2004. It is comical that Mr. Valentin Nicolau should accuse prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu of the very things that happened in the national television while former officials were at rule, that is of breaking personal dignity and imposing political obedience." The government claims that the Prime Minister "did nothing" of what he is reproached for by the General President of TVR. The Executive "wants TVR to be a professional media institution, politically independent and powerful".

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