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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-03-26The Press Agency of the Romanian Radio (RADOR Society) Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: RADOR Press Agency <http://indis.ici.ro/romania/news/rador.html>March 26, 1998CONTENTS
[01] Proceedings in ParliamentThe Commission for economic policy, reform and privatisation in the House of Deputies has started debates concerning the reform budget. Romanian Reform Minister Ilie Serbanescu has attended the meeting on Wednesday and declared that the Government provided sufficient funds for the reform, and it was the best possible distribution the Government could have made. On the other hand, Chief Commissioner Deputy Ilie Vida said the funds were insufficient, but there were no other possibilities to increase them. RADOR, March 26The special commissions have started debates concerning the budget for the Romanian National Defence Ministry (MApN) and the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MI). Chief Commissioner for Defence Deputy Ioan Mircea Pascu believes that, as no other resources could be found for capital spendings and investment spendings, the budgets could only allow the survival of the departments. RADOR, March 26 The Education Commissions in the Romanian Senate and the House of Deputies met in a joint session on Wednesday to discuss issues concerning the 1998 budget for education. Chief Commissioner Deputy Anghel Stancu said the budget for education was lower than 4% of the GDP, and such a budget was against the Education Law. Consequently, the commissions have approved additional funds to hit the 4% of the GDP as the law stipulated. The money could be provided by the Public Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Trade as their funds were provided by the National Lottery and the casinos. RADOR, March 26 [02] PNTCD disputesThe Secretary General of the ruling Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD), Radu Vasile has provided details concerning the recent PNTCD meeting in Brasov where a PNTCD deputy was celebrating his birthday. As many PNTCD leaders along with their families attended the event, the meeting was an occasion for debates on politics, economic issues and the party's internal affairs. Mr Vasile said the meeting was not subversive as others had suggested, and added that, as far as the political crisis was concerned, all participants rejected such solutions as the early elections, a government of national unity or an independent government. They all shared the idea of a government made of politicians who had the support of political parties. No names were mentioned, and Mr Vasile declared that the discussions were only supposed to find new ways of improving the image of the party and the government. He admitted that "some ideas were put on paper, but there was no question of an alleged attempt to divide the party". The PNTCD deputy added that all participants expressed their full support for PNTCD President Ion Diaconescu. RADOR, March 26As PNTCD vicepresident and member of the BCCC (ed.n. PNTCD Coordination and Control Bureau), the Secretary General of the Romanian Government, Remus Opris, sent a letter to the PNTCD Secretary General Radu Vasile and PNTCD Vicepresident Sorin Lepsa. Mr Opris has asked the two PNTCD leaders to provide details about the document drawn up at the meeting in Brasov. According to Mr Opris, the document has gained the support of some local leaders. "I thought their duty was to inform the PNTCD leadership about the text", PNTCD Vicepresident Remus Opris concluded. RADOR, March 26 [03] Valeriu Stoica believes that political crisis should be solved before the Budget was passedIn a letter to the Congress of the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL), Valeriu Stoica is pleading for an immediate solution to the political crisis, even if the prime minister or the whole government were supposed to be dismissed. The PNL first vicepresident urges the PNL to determine the end of the political crisis through democratic means, and then negotiate the structure of a new government and a new governing programme. In his opinion, the prime minister should have the political authority to implement the programme. Mr Stoica says a detailed functioning programme of the governing coalition should be drawn up to separate the political level from the governing one. For the first time in a political document the idea of the so-called algorithm is excluded to the benefit of a governing act based on competence and honesty. At the end of his letter, Valeriu Stoica urges the PNL Congress to mandate the PNL Permanent Bureau to start negotiations with all democratic political forces and save the general interests of Romania.According to the same source, the Vicepresident of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Radu Berceanu, made these remarks about Mr Stoica's letter: "As a governing coalition, we could find the formula of a new government, and then sign the new political contract we had already proposed. I understand that Mr Stoica agrees with it and, some days before the final vote, the matter could be solved and the new government could implement the Budget". RADOR, March 26 [04] PD position concerning Ordinance 22Deputy Speaker of the House of Deputies Radu Berceanu declared that, according to a PD proposal put forward in both the Public Administration Commission and at the meeting of the Permanent Bureau, a government official should be designated to announce if the Cabinet were still supporting the articles in Ordinance 22 the Senate had rejected. If the government did not support those articles anymore, then the PD representatives would vote against the amendment rejecting the Ordinance 22. In such conditions, the draft law will return to the Senate, and the PD point of view could have the chance to be adopted. RADOR, March 26[05] Attorney General's Office demanded the immunity of PDSR Deputy Serban Mihailescu liftedIn an official letter to the Justice Ministry, the Attorney General's Office in Romania intimated that the immunity of PDSR Deputy Serban Petre Mihailescu should be lifted. In September 1994, during his mandate as secretary of state with the Transport Ministry and head of the Naval Transport Department, Serban Mihailescu has approved the pay of 150,000 dollars to the Greek company Drosinos Elefterios for clearing the Danubian channel of Sulina and lifting the wreck of the Rostock vessel back to surface. Mr Mihailescu is accused of ignoring the negative notification he received from the Romanian Finance Ministry. The prosecutors believe that the PDSR deputy could be taken to court for abuse against public interest. RADOR, March 26[06] Trade union protestsProtest demonstrations were initiated yesterday in Bucharest and other Romanian cities by the drivers' trade union federation. Among other things, the drivers demand accise duties on petrol products suspended, reduced fiscality for professional lorry drivers and ask the Transport Ministry to draw up a plan guaranteeing investments for route transport improvements. At the Government building in Bucharets, a trade union delegation met Secretary of State Vlad Rosca, also the head of the Department for relations with trade unions and employers. According to a press communique, a meeting between ministers in the field and trade union representatives was agreed on March 31, when trade unionists' demands would be subject to debates. RADOR, March 26[07] International Book Fair in LeipzigRomanian President Emil Constantinescu has gone yesterday for a 24-hour visit to Germany where he is expected to attend the International Book Fair in Leipzig. The fair opened on Wednesday and Romania was the guest of honour. Mr Constantinescu is expected to make a speek at the opening ceremony. The Book Fair in Leipzig will provide the opportunity to promote a series of Romanian events - exhibitions, theatre performances, the Romanian Film Week, etc. The fair is to close on March 28. RADOR, March 26[08] Accusations against workers of the Romanian embassy in BonnOn Tuesday evening, Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has urged the Government to designate a special commission in 24 hour time and open an enquiry amid accusations the Attorney's Office in Germany and the German police made against some workers with the Romanian embassy in Bonn. The workers are suspected of issuing fake documents for Romanian criminals using children as pickpockets. RADOR, March 26The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) spokesperson said the authorities in Bonn did not sent any formal notification yet concerning the activity at the Romanian embassy in Bonn. MAE was an immediate contact with the embassy in Bonn and demanded its diplomats to ask the German authorities to provide further details about the incident. MAE has invited the deputy attache with the German embassy in Bucharest for talks concerning the evidence in the enquiry to compare it with the information provided by the MAE and MI data base. MAE has ordered an enquiry and its results were expected at the week end. The MAE spokesperson stressed that, according to diplomatic proceedings between two friend countries especially, if such incidents occured they should be discussed first with the officials in the country involved. The dialogue should not start in the press, he added. RADOR, March 26 [09] Prime Minister Ciorbea met the president of the European ParliamentThe President of the European Parliament Jose Maria Gil Robles Gil Delgado had talks with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea on Wednesday. The prime minister praised the role the European Parliament play in the EU enlargement process and provided details concerning the current stage of reform in the country. The guest praised the reform programme the Romanian Government promoted and its legal steps in the fight against drug traffiking and organised crime. Mr Delgado said he was impressed by the popular support for the EU accession. Romanian Minister for European Integration Alexandru Herlea attended the meeting and presented the main goals in the national plan of Romania's EU accession. According to Government sources, Mr Delgado said a EU delegate was to present a report concerning the Romanians' chances to travel to the EU countries without an entry visa. RADOR, March 26The Press Agency of the Romanian Radio (RADOR Society) Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |