Timpul de dimineata newspaper has assigned the best journalists, politicians, jurists, opinion leaders and people of culture of 2008. Timpul's White Gala, the IIIrd edition, took place on December 25, at Satiricus I.L.Caragiale Theater. The 2008 laureates are: lawyer Janeta Hanganu, executive director of IDIS “Viitorul” Igor Munteanu, director of the library “B.P. Hasdeu” Lidia Culicovschi, economist Vasile Soimaru, doctor in law Mihai Tasca, journalists Vlad Pohila, doctor in history Igor Casu, ballerina Cristina Terentiev, playwright Dumitru Crudu, producer Sandu Grecu, singer Geta Burlacu, fine artist Ghenadie Popescu, writer Larisa Turea and teachers of Romanian Livia Gardea and Maria Ciobanu. Excellence prizes were offered to Mircea Snegur, the first president of Moldova, for “truthful rebuilding of our history in the book series “Labirintul destinului,” and to Valeriu Saharneanu, the president of the Journalists Union, for “mobilizing the journalistic guild in fighting for a free press and democracy in Moldova.” The politician of the year, in Timpul's opinion, is Vladimir Filat for “launching and running the successful political project: the Liberal Party in Moldova.” Prizes for political work were also offered to Nicolae Andronic, the leader of the People’s Republican Party, Dumitru Braghis, the leader of the Social-Democratic Party, Oleg Cernei, a Chisinau councilor from Moldova Noastra Alliance, Dorin Chirtoaca, the Chisinau mayor and the deputy president of the Liberal Party, Dumitru Diacov, the leader of the Democratic Party, Vitalia Pavlicenco, the president of the National Liberal Party, Anatol Petrencu, the leader of the European Action Movement Party, Alexandru Tanase, the first deputy president of PLDM and Serafim Urecheanu, AMN’s leader. Special prizes for perseverance and active presence in politics were offered to Veaceslav Untila, AMN’s first deputy president, Mihai Godea, the PLDM’s first deputy president, Corina Fusu, the PL municipal councilor, Oleg Serebrian, the PDM’s deputy president, Leonid Bujor, AMN’s deputy and Liliana Palihovici, the PLDM’s deputy president. In the journalistic sector, Timpul has conferred prizes to Valentina Ursu from Radio Free Europe, Nicolae Cuschevici from “Ziarul de Garda,” Petru Macovei, the president of the Independent Press Association, Lorena Bogza, an editor with PRO TV Chisinau, Grigore Matasaru from Vocea Basarabiei, Tudor Darie, the director of UNIMEDIA news portal. Valeriu Butnaru, the director of the publication Jurnal de Chisinau, has been awarded for “Jurnal TV – the first and most courageous on-line television from Moldova.