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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-11-13
November 13, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] New Motion Against Romanian Presidency and Radu Vasile Cabinet;
[02] Valeriu Stoica's Reply to the Motion;
[03] House of Deputies: Simple Motion Rejected;
[04] Cabinet Meeting;
[05] PNL Believes the Government Restructuring Is a Major Step Towards the
Next Year's Budget;
[06] PD Attacks Against Left-Wing Opposition;
[07] PSDR and ApR May Better Merge Than Ally;
[08] ApR Did Not Attend the Left-Wing Meeting;
[09] PAR Authored the Economic Doctrine of the Romanian Right;
[10] Romania's Former Securitate Involved in Terrorist Attacks Carried Out
by Carlos the Jackal;
[11] Drivers' Strike Suspended;
[12] Further Strike Actions by Students;
[13] MAE Delegation on a Visit to the US State Department;
[14] MAE State Secretary Elena Zamfirescu at the OSCE Meeting;
[15] Vatican's New Ambassador to Bucharest;
[01] New motion against Romanian Presidency and Radu Vasile Cabinet
The independent senators along with senators in the parliamentary groups of
the opposition PartN of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), the Romanians'
National Unity Party (PUNR) and the Greater Romania Party (PRM) have
submitted a motion on Thursday warning that the Romanian Presidency was
breaking the principle of separated state powers. The document is warning
about the irregularities and abuses by high-ranking officials, and
President Emil Constantinescu in the first place. The motion recalls the
statements and actions carried out by the president in his attempt to take
over the other responsabilities the rule of law involved as such actions,
the opposition senators believed, would inevitably lead to dictature. The
senators also criticise the Presidecy's interference into parliamentary
affairs as presidential adviser Zoe Petre did when she mentioned the
Opposition request of a commission to open an inquiry into the Cigarette II
affair and asked the coalition parties to stop such stupid initiatives. The
Romanian Government is also mentioned and blamed for its attempts to taNe
over parliamentary resposibilities by issuing ordinances. The opposition
senators recall that the former Ciorbea Cabinet issued 163 ordinances
compared to Radu Vasile's who issued 161 similar documents. The text of the
motion will be subject to debates on Wednesday, November 18. RADOR
[02] Valeriu Stoica's reply to the motion
At a press conference organised by the National Liberal Party (PNL) on
Thursday, Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica replied to the motion carried out
by the Opposition. He said "the motion referred to nothing; it actually has
no object". "It is true that the Romanian president, and me too, for once,
have expressed fierce criticism against the state of the judiciary", Mr
Stoica admitted, "but I would like to separte the notion of political
interference from the alleged political pressure on the judiciary. Making
political pressure on the judiciary means to ask judges to break the law
and answer political interests, and I would like to know just one phrase by
Nme or the president asking the judges to break the law. If you or the PDSR
believe that asking the judges to comply with the law means making
political pressure, then allow me to tell you that I am not afraid. I am
very sorry that the matter, who actually menas the reform of the judiciary,
is becoming subject to political disputes", the justice minister concluded.
RADOR
[03] House of Deputies: simple motion rejected
With 155 votes for and 91 against, the House of Deputies has rejected on
Thursday the simple motion on the retired people. Signed by 102 MPs
including independent, opposition and national minority deputies, the
motion calls for the readjustment of the pensions according to prices
between October 1991 and November 1998, the suspension of the recent
government order raising energy and gas prices and the promotion of a
government order to ensure fair prices for basic goods and services. The
authors of the motion have asked the Chambre to pass the motion and claimed
thaN the Radu Vasile Cabinet did not take any measure to offer the retired
people a better life. Labour Minister Alexandru Athanasiu and
representatives of the governing coalition said the motion had no object as
the government already adopted an order readjusting the pensions. RADOR
[04] Cabinet meeting
At its meeting on Thursday, the Romanian Cabinet has adopted an emergency
ordinance amending the Law on housing #14/1996. the amendment stipulates
simplified legal procedures allowing owner associations to get legal
status. The Cabinet has also adopted an order on the setting up of the
National Training Centre for local public administration and similar
territorial centre. Another government order refers to radio subscriptions
who, starting with November 1, are established at 8,500 lei for each
family. The government has also approved the setting up of the South-East
Oltenia development region including the counties of Dolj, Gorj, Mehedinti,
Olt and Valcea. RADOR
[05] PNL believes Nhe government restructuring is a major step towards the
next year's Budget
PNL believes the government restructuring is a major step towards the 1999
Budget. PNL first vicepresident Valeriu Stoica told the party's press
conference on Thursday that the finance minister needed the politicla
decision to complete the draft Budget and send it to the government in two
weeks. In his turn, PNL leader Mircea Ionescu Quintus has announced that
PNL's Central Permanent Bureau now included three leading members of the
Liberal Party (PL): two PL vicepresidents - Dinu Patriciu and Horia Rusu,
and a member in the PL Permanent Bureau - Dinu Zamfirescu. RADOR
[06] PD attacks against left-wing Opposition
The ruling Democratic Party (PD) has expressed fierceful criticism against
the left-wing Opposition. PD deputy George Stancov said the 11 parties
meeting at the PDSR headquarters on Wenesday were plotting an "anti-
Romanian fake". He said "the fear of losing their power over Romania" made
the forNes of the Left come out and proclaim themselves as "political
friends in a political coalition including former enemies". Mr Stancov says
the Romanian Left is a "relic of the past". He says the PD does not rule
out a "unification of real social-democrat parties, and the PD is still
waiting for it". The PD deputy told a press conference on Thursday that the
PD believed someone was interested in blocking the law on former Securitate
files, but the law however should be adopted. RADOR
[07] PSDR and ApR may better merge than ally
The Romanian Social democrat Party (PSDR) believes that early elections are
out of question. PSDR deputy Radu Gheciu, the party's secretary for
political affairs, told a press conference on Thursday that early elections
could stop the reform and other political and economic analysts shared the
opinion. Referring to the alleged merger or alliance between his party and
the Alliance for Romania Party (ApR), Mr Gheciu said it was better for the
move to be delayeN than mismanaged. He indicated that a merger between the
two parties was more probable than an alliance as both parties should hit
the electoral threshold. RADOR
[08] ApR did not attend the left-wing meeting
A communique issued by the ApR says the ApR leaders did not answer the
PDSR's initiative of a meeting on Wednesday of left-wing opposition parties
in and outside the parliament. The ApR is not expected to join a coalition
of parties similar to the coalition who ruled Romania till 1996. The ApR
leadership would like the party to become a centre-left alternative to the
policies of Romania's former government and the country's government today.
RADOR
[09] PAR authored the economic doctrine of the Romanian Right
At an exttttraordinary press conference on Thursday, Romania's Alternative
Party (PAR) has launched the economic doctrine of the Romanian Right.
Explaining the nine principles in the programme, PAR senator Paul Ghitiu,
also secretary general of the party, has insisted Nhat the private property
should be guaranteed as such properties were the engine of economic
development and increasing domestic capita. The senator has also mentioned
the major role the fiscal and budget policies played.
[10] Romania's former Securitate involved in terrorist attacks carried out
by Carlos the Jackal
General Vlad, former head of the State Security Department, general Plesita,
former commander of Romania's Foreign Intelligence Centre, and Tudor
Postelnicu, former interior minister, have confirmed the involvement of the
former Securitate in the terrorist attacks carried out by Ramirez Sanchez
alias Carlos the Jackal in the '80, the Romanian. Colonel Blaga, former
USLA chief, has admitted that Ceausescu hired the famous terrorist to
annihilate the so-called "traitor" such as general Ioan Pacepa and other
undercover agents who refused to come back in Romania after Pacepa defected
the country. The inquiry the Romanian prosecutirs have strated in 1990
reached no conNlusion. In 1997, the Attorney General's Office found
evidence confirming that the Securitate provided Carlos with money in a
secret account opened in a Romanian bank under the name of his wife, the
German Magdalene Koppe, now living in Sudan.The evidence also included
forge passports and driving licences issued by the Romanian authorities as
well as lists including the weapons and explosives ordered by Carlos.
RADOR
[11] Drivers' strike suspended
At the Victoria Palace on Thursday, trade union leaders representing
Romanian drivers had talks with Prime Minister Radu Vasile, Finance
Minister Decebal Traian Remes and Transport Minister Traian Basescu.
Following discussions, a protocol was signed on the strikers' demands to be
solved. The document includes, among other things, protection measures for
drivers facing technical unemployment during the winter and ways to certify
the drivers' training and skills. The Interior Ministry will invistigate
the existing cases of illegal workN The ministry and the trade unions are
expected to seek solution to cut the quantum of the fines the drivers
claimed as too high. Labour Ministry State Secretary Norica Nicolae has
announced that, following talks on Thursday, the strike was suspended, and
the trade unionists confirmed the report, but they said some of demandes
were still unsolved and further talks were planned with Finance Ministry
Labour Ministry and Transport Ministry officials. Protest marches were
reported on Wednesday in Bucharest, Brasov, Constanta, Craiova, Ploiesti,
Braila, Drobeta-Turnu Severin and medgidia. RADOR
[12] Further strike actions by students
Carrying out their fourth day of strike, the students in the city of
Craiova (southern Romania) organised a protest march legally approved by
the city's authorities. Further strike actions have been also reported in
Iassy (north-eastern Romania) and Brasov (central Romania). The students at
the Oil and Gas University in Ploiesti have announced further pNotests
unless the university leadership would solve the demands depending on its
abilities. The students in the Western University of Timisoara (south-
western Romania) have gone on a general strike in support of their
colleagues in other Romanian universities and colleagues at the Timisoara
Polytechnic who were marching the streets since Wednesday. The students in
the city of Resita (western Romania) have announced a warning strike on
Thursday. RADOR
[13] MAE delegation on a visit to the US State Department
Consultations between a Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) delegation led by
director general Mihnea Motoc and a US State Department official has been
taking place in Washington early this week as part of the Strategic
Partnership between Romania and the US. The talks concentrated on Romania's
efforts to join NATO and the country's candidacy for the OSCE presidency in
2001, issues concerning regional cooperation and Romania's contribution to
the OSCE monitoring mission in the Nugoslav province of Kosovo, and recent
steps in Romania's European integration preparations. RADOR
[14] MAE State Secretary Elena Zamfirescu at the OSCE meeting
MAE State Secretary Elena Zamfirescu has attended a special meeting of the
OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday. The acting president of the
OSCE, Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek has presented participants
with a report on the OSCE activity. The meeting in Vienna was actually
preparing the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council planned in Oslo on
December 2-3. RADOR
[15] Vatican's new ambassador to Bucharest
Pope John Paul II has appointed the Swiss Claude Perisset as the Holy See's
new ambassador to Romania. RADOR
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