The administration of “Eugene Ionesco” Theater said that Minister of Culture Boris Focsa declared war on the theater and since September has postponed naming the institution’s director. They say that the minister is nothing but a marionette of a person from a known political party. For his part, the minister of culture denies the accusations, invoking the legislation, Info-Prim Neo reports. Acting director of the theater Petru Vutcarau told a news conference on December 13 that in a general assembly of the theater’s collective in September, a candidate was unanimously designated for the post of director and the minister of culture accepted him, assuring that an order will be soon issued to name him to post. But this didn’t happen. Petru Vutcarau said that an order was soon made, but not to name that candidate to post, but to hold a contest for filling in the vacancy. That candidate applied to take part in the contest together with another two candidates and was ultimately selected. But the minister postponed appointing him. In the end, he annulled the November contest and announced a new one for the end of December. “These facts show three things: that the minister of culture of Moldova is nothing but a marionette that lacks dignity and common sense; that the Ministry of Culture is controlled by a person from a certain party, who gives instructions and violate the democratic rights, and that we live in a dictatorial state,: said, Petru Vutcarau. Attending the same news conference, Aliona Strambeanu, head of the Ministry of Culture’s professional Arts Division, said that the legislation on theater stipulates that a theater director can be named by contest and without. In the case of “Eugene Ionesco” Theater, which is a state-run one, it was decided to stage a contest. The contest results were annulled because there were identified a series of procedure violations. The post of director of “Eugene Ionesco” Theater fell vacant after former director Andrei Locoman tendered his resignation. A contest to fill the post will take place at end-December. Applications can be filed by December 30.