FORUM 21 COMMENTS DECISION ON DISMISSAL OF 3 DIRECTOR ASSISTANTS

ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - 'Forum 21', which gathers reporters from the electronic media in the country, in principle does not deny the right of the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) management board to make decisions essential for the well-being of the biggest media company in Croatia. The association stressed, however, that the dismissal of three assistants to the HRT director in a way so the association learnt it from the media not people in authority "cannot be other than another form of non-democracy, in fact, it is a sign of uncivilised Croatian society," Forum 21 said Friday. Media reported today the HRT management had dismissed the company's director's assistants. "In a situation when several hundreds Croatian Television employees are receiving salaries without even coming to work and when those who had been looting the company for years have not been held accountable, justifying the dismissal of the director's assistants by the need for rationalisation is cynical, and what's worse, an insult to the dismissed,", Forum 21 president, Drago Pilsel, signed a statement issued Friday. The association described the dismissals as smothering criticism at the HTV and the director's affirmation of his position, the statement said. Forum 21 expressed regret Mirko Galic, a co-founder and member of the reporters' association, had not shown "more dialogue ability", and warned him methods of a political showdown the Croatian society had denounced at the last parliamentary elections was not useful for solving the accumulated problems at the HRT. (hina) lml