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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-02-19
February 19, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] PD communique
[02] PNTCD MP and ministers meeting
[03] An economic programme without support in parliament has no
significance, the finance minister says
[04] A controversial decision made by the Local Public Administration
Commission in the Romanian Senate
[05] SANITAS protests continue
[06] Romanian Physicians College in support of SANITAS Federation
[07] Statements of Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and Italian
President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
[08] US position concerning Romania's support in solving Iraqi crisis
[09] A communique issued by the Foreign Policy Commission in the Romanian
Senate
[10] Romanian defence minister met heads of parliamentary commissions in
the field
[11] Romanian Foreign Ministry concerned over statements of Hungarian
officials
[01] PD communique
According to the Romanian Constitution, the mandate of the prime minister
could rightly end if he were not to renounce his job as a mayor, says a
press communique of the governing Democratic Party (PD) signed by its
president Petre Roman. The document warns that the incompatibilitS of the
jobs could result in the government resignation and an acting prime
minister could be designated. The PD communique says this point of view is
not new as it was revealed already last May when a joint meeting of the PD
parliamentary groups was attended by the prime minister himself. When asked
if the PD position did not contravene the protocol recently signed with the
Christian-Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD), Mr Roman replied his
party has signed it to continue the reform and not to violate the
Constitution. RADOR, February 19
[02] PNTCD MP and ministers meeting
PNTCD groups in both Houses of the Romanian Parliament have decided to
recommend a delay in the debates concerning the Law on the pay of MPs and
other high ranking officials. A joint meeting of the PNTCD MPs and
ministers was organised in the House of Deputies on Wednesday evening.
Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea has presented the current situation in the
country warning that the Romanian economy was facing major problemsS He has
also informed on the current stage of the government negociations with the
IMF and the social impact the austerity budget could make on future.
According to PNTCD Vicepresident Vasile Lupu, the agenda of the talks
included issues concerning legal priorities and the budget. "The government
admitted that, for the time being, the demands put forward by the Sanitas
Federation of health trade unions could not be met", Mr Lupu concluded.
RADOR, February 19
[03] An economic programme without support in parliament has no
significance, the finance minister says
"In case the situation is becoming even more complicated and I really
cannot do my job, then I am ready to resign. I do not want to subscribe to
decisions aimed at worsening Romania's economic situation", Romanian
Finance Minister Daniel Daianu said. He explained that the remarks he made
at the PNL Permanent Bureau meeting on Tuesday evening were only a warning
and he did not meant he would resign right now. "If there is no support in
Sarliament, a beautifully written economic programme has no significance",
the finance minister added. He has mentioned that his position had the
National Liberal Party (PNL) support and Communications Minister Sorin
Pantis assured him of his support on the matter. RADOR, February 19
[04] A controversial decision made by the Local Public Administration
Commission in the Romanian Senate
The Government Emergency Ordinance aimed at amending the Law on public
administration was subject to debates at a Local Public Administration
Commission meeting on Wednesday. With a majority of votes, the
commissioners have decided to eliminate the article allowing a member in
the government to keep his job as a mayor. The vote was due to the PD
senators who voted along with the Opposition. Commenting the PD attitude,
Government Secretary General Remus Opris said it was a new violation of the
bilateral protocol, and once again, it proved the double-dealing of the PD
party. On the other hand, PD Senator Stefan Ilie,SSecretary of the Local
Public Administration Commission, said the PD representatives have voted
according to art. 104 in the Constitution stipulating that a member in the
government cannot exercise another job; he can only be a senator or a
deputy. Mr Ilie insisted the vote could not be seen as a violation of the
protocol for the very good reason that the document did not involve the
adoption of unconstitutional bills. RADOR, February 19
[05] SANITAS protests continue
Initiated by CNSRL "Fratia" ("Brotherhood") and SANITAS trade unionists,
the picketing in front of the Government building has ended yesterday at 2
PM but protests will continue the following days. The SANITAS leader Marius
Petcu said in an interview that the labour and social protection
commissioners in the parliament have voted for the government proposal of a
25% increase in the salaries of health workers on Wednesday, though they
had assured him of their support the very same day. In a letter sent to the
Romanian Presidency, SANITAS National Council has asked the Romanian
president to exercise his role as a mediator to determine "a change in the
attitude of the government towards the justified protests of health workers
all over the country". According to Mr Petcu, the federation had to act
because, after a week of general strike in the health system, the
Government of Romania did not succeed in finding an effective emergency
solution to end the conflict. RADOR, February 19
[06] Romanian Physicians College in support of SANITAS Federation
A communique issued by the Romanian Physicians College (CMR) says the
phisicians express their strong support for the demands of the health
workers. The CMR communique said that a solution to the health system
crisis needs a highest level political will. CMR is ready to initate a
dialogue aimed at achieving the consense concerning priorities and
resources. In this respect, CMR considers that a GDP minimum spending of 5%
could be a beginning, but the suggested health taxes could not Se a
solution as the population had not enough money for medicine and would be
uselessly growing poorer. RADOR, February 19
[07] Statements of Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and Italian
President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
"As there are Italian journalists among us, my only duty is to thank Italy,
in the name of the Romanian people, for her extraordinary support in our
fight for NATO and EU integration. It was more than a diplomatic or
political support, it was the support of brother people. This support goes
on even now under different aspects, and the Romanians wish to thank the
Italian people and thier representatives", Romanian President Emil
Constantinescu said in his welcome address to his Italian counterpart Oscar
Luigi Scalfaro on a short visit to Romania. In his turn, the Italian
president said "his very presence proves the longlasting relations between
Italy and Romania" stressing the importance of cultural and economic
relations between the two countries. "Italy is committed to supSort Romania
in her attempts to gain her full rights as part of the the European
Community and international security plans", Mr Scalfaro added. RADOR,
February 19
[08] US position concerning Romania's support in solving Iraqi crisis
"On Tuesday, February 17, US State Department spokesman James Rubin mad a
statement expressing the US Administration position concerning Romania's
decision to support the American and international actions in solving the
Iraqi crisis. Mr Rubin has welcomed the Romanian Government decision and
said it was a sign of courage and solidarity. He appreciated the decisions
the Romanian Government and Romania have consistently made in recent years
and he mentioned Romania's participation in the Gulf War of 1991 as well as
in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Angola, Somalia and Albania. Further
on, the State Department statement - which represents, I insist, the
official position of the American Administration - announces the Romanian
decicion and actually includes Romania Smong the countries expressing their
support and solidarity for the US move in solving the Iraqi crisis". RADOR,
February 19
[09] A communique issued by the Foreign Policy Commission in the Romanian Senate
In a communique issued to the press, the Foreign Policy Commission in the
Romanian Senate says its members will support and approve Romania's
participation in a future Gulf conflict if the Romanian president will
recommend such a move according to Law 45/1994 on the national defence of
Romania. The commissioners inform that they will act only according to the
UN resolutions trying to limit the military involvement of our country as
much as possible. Further on, the commission recommends that the
international community should promise their full support in covering or
compensating all spendings such an operation requests. RADOR, February 19
[10] Romanian defence minister met heads of parliamentary commissions in
the field
Romanian National Defence Minister Constantin Dudu Ionescu met members of
the Defence CSmmissions in the Romanian Parliament on Wednesday. The
meeting focused on a Defence Intelligence report concerning the Iraqi
crisis. The defence minister and chief commissioners Nicolae Alexandru and
Ioan Mircea Pascu have declared that, as far as the Romanian troops
participation was concerned, no decision was made yet. They saud there were
only hearings and consultations concerning the Iraqi crisis, but political
discussions were still to be decided. Romania's participation in Gulf
operations will be decided only according to recommendations made by the
president and after the approval in parliament, they added. Chief
commissioner Nicolae Alexandru wanted to stress that the Government
decision was due to the concern the Iraqi crisis has created, and not at
the US request. RADOR, February 19
[11] Romanian Foreign Ministry concerned over statements of Hungarian
officials
The Foreign Ministry spokesman told a press conference on Wednesday that
the Romanian part decided to examine the statements mSde by some Hungarian
officials and the possible effects of these statements. The oficials
referred to the possibility to introduce the obligatory visa conditions for
Romania as a response to the new more restrective border control in
Hungary. Such a perspective - even theoretical as it is now - would cause
extra difficulties in Romania's process of European integration. This could
also harm to the interregion cooperation and to the good development of the
partnership between Romania and Hungary - the spokesman said. RADOR,
February 19
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