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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-02-11
February 11, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] New Cabinet Ministers Endorsed
[02] PL Press Conference
[03] PNL Permanent Bureau Rejects A Proposal by Viorel Catarama
[04] PDSR Press Conference
[05] PS Press Conference
[06] The Senate Has Approved Its Own Budget
[07] Sanitas General Strike
[08] An Encouraging Statement
[09] The First Meeting Poul Thomsen - Victor Ciorbea Has Ended
[01] New Cabinet Ministers Endorsed
The new ministers to replace the Democrats who left the governing coalition
were validated during a joint session of the Romanian Parliament on
Tuesday. With 315 in support and 121 against, the MPs have endorsed
Constantin Dudu Ionescu as Defence Minister, Anton Ionescu as Transport
Minister, Ioan Muresan as Minister for Relations with the Parliament,
Romica Tomescu as Environment Minister and Horia Ene as Research and
Technology Minister. RADOR, February 11
[02] PL Press Conference
The leaders of the Liberal Party in Romania (PL) think that the lack of
governing programme and the discontent among health workers prove that a
new government is needed, a government of another political will. During a
press conference on Tuesday, PL leader Horia Rusu said that the one year
failure of the governing programme should be analysed and a programme of
real reform should be presented. Mr Rusu said that "during his recent press
conference, Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea has carelessly repeated things he
did not understand, things which belong to SF literature such as the 37%
inflation rate for 1998". As far as the Liberal unification is concerned,
the PL leadership thinks that the best option would be a Liberal
federation. RADOR, February 11
[03] PNL Permanent Bureau Rejects A Proposal by Viorel Catarama
Referring to the Liberal Federation proposed by PNL VIcepresident Viorel
Cataram, Mr Radu Stroe, a member in the Permanent Bureau of the National
Liberal Party (PNL), said that, on Monday night, the PNL Permanent Bureau
has rejected Mr Catarama's proposal with 13 votes against. Mr Stroe has
stressed that the proposal did not coincide with the PNL concerning the
unification of the Liberal movement. He informed that, according to PNL
leadership, the first stage of the process should include the accession of
PAC (Civic Alliance Party), and then the accession of PL '93 (Liberal Party
'93). RADOR, February 11
[04] PDSR Press Conference
According to PDSR (Party of Social Democracy in Romania), the economic
programme that Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea has presented last Friday was
only a series of intentions as there was no guaratee that its tasks would
be achieved. The PDSR Vicepresident Ioan Mircea Pascu said at a press
conference on Tuesday that, in such conditions, there are no real solutions
to end the current crisis. "As consequence, Romania will be far off the
necessary standards to join the Euro-Atlantic structures", Mr Pascu added.
RADOR, February 11
[05] PS Press Conference
The Romanian Socialist Party (PS) says the agreement the parties in the
governing coalition have reached does not solve the problem of political
stability. At a press conference on Tuesday, PS Vicepresident Iosif Bati
has stressed that only the early elections could bring a new balance in the
Parliament. On the same occasion, the PS Vicepresident presented a
declaration issued by the PS Executive Bureau concerning the 1998 governing
programme of Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea. The declaration says the
programme could not really improve the Romanian economy. RADOR, February
11
[06] The Senate Has Approved Its Own Budget
The Romanian Senate has unanimously approved on Tuesday a 54,4 billion lei
increase of its budget. The quaestor of the Upper House in the Romanian
Parliament Alexandru Mortun said the measure was necessary to cover the
spendings on personnel, services, international subscriptions, etc. Such
spendings include a block of 90-100 one room apartments, cars for senators
as well as PC equipments. RADOR, February 11
[07] Sanitas General Strike
A special national council of the Sanitas Federation in Romania meeting on
Tuesday has called on an unlimited general strike starting from Thursday,
10 a.m. The decision was made as the Executive maintained its position
after the Sanitas token strike on Monday, ignoring the dramatic situation
of 250 000 health workers. According to the same source, a Sanitas
Federation communique warns that the decision-making bodies will face
serious consequences if a solution to the current situation could not be
found. RADOR, February 11
[08] An Encouraging Statement
"WEU MPs are in favour of Romania's accession to European institutions",
said WEU Assembly President Luis Maria de Puig in his address to the
Romanian Senate. The statement was beyond expectations. Recalling the WEU
session which preceded the NATO summit in Madrid last July, Mr De Puig
said: "We have unanimously decided to support Romania's integration into
NATO. We made that decision because the WEU MPs would like Romania to
become a WEU Member as well, and any WEU Applicant State should be first a
member of NATO and the EU. Therefore, to become a WEU member Romania should
join NATO and the EU first". On Tuesday, Luis Maria de Puig met the House
of Deputies Speaker Ion Diaconescu and Romanian Defence Minister Victor
Babiuc. RADOR, February 11
[09] The First Meeting Poul Thomsen - Victor Ciorbea Has Ended
The reform - the central pillar of the programme the Ciorbea Cabinet should
achieve - is regularly subject to IMF monitoring. On Tuesday, the IMF Chief
Negotiator for Romania Poul Thomsen met Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea and
senior officials in economic ministries as well as Labour Minister
Alexandru Athanasiu and Romanian National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu.
Both the Prime Minister and Mr Thomsen have indicated that as far as the
discussions are concerned the conclusions should not be anticipated for the
time being. Poul Thomsen is to evaluate if Romania is entitled to get the
second tranche of the IMF loan as stipulated in astand-by agreement between
the two sides. RADOR, February 11
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