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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-09-15
September 15, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Meeting of Governing Coalition Leaders;
[02] Three Candidates Running for Bucharest Mayor Displeased;
[03] PAR Press Conference;
[04] Open Letter to President Constantinescu;
[05] General Strike of Mining Trade Unionists Suspended;
[06] Opening Ceremony of the 1998-1999 School Year in Sibiu;
[07] Italian Defence Minister on a Visit to Romania;
[08] Russian Prime Minister's Message to His Romanian Counterpart;
[09] MApN State Secretary Constantin Dudu Ionescu on a Visit to Norway;
[10] Romanian Participation in the "Shield of Peace '98" Multinational
Military Exercise.
[11] Viorel Coifan, New President of Danube-Cris-Mures-Tisa Euro-Region;
[12] Setting Up of WUHM Romanian Branch.
[01] Meeting of governing coalition leaders
At a meeting on Monday evening, the leaders in the governing coalition have
decided that the early elections for the mayor general of Bucharest could
be organised in October and the Government was to issue an ordinance
stipulating the date and the voting procedures while the City Hall was to
seek ways of providing the alleged 15 billion lei to cover the election
process. The leader of the Christian Democrat National Peasant Party
(PNTCD), Ion Diaconescu, said that several proposals were made concerning
the setting up of a Hungarian language teaching university though he
stopped short of providing any detail. In his turn, the leader of the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Marko Bela, said
it was important that an accurate text should be found in order to prevent
any restrictions to the Hungarian language teaching. He pointed out that
the issue concerning the article in the Eduacation Law allowing or banning
the setting up of a mother tongue teaching institution should be solved
first. Then the Hungarian teaching state university should be subject to a
separate law, other than the Education Law, if the UDMR were to agree with
the version. At the end of the meeting, the coalition leaders said they
were to submit all versions over the issue to the Commission for
educational affairs in the House of Deputies and a decision was expected on
Tuesday or Wednesday. RADOR
[02] Three candidates running for Bucharest mayor displeased
The mayor of the Sector 1 in Bucharest, George Padure, an independent
candidate running for mayor in the Bucharest City Hall by-elections, has
called on the other candidates running for the job to protest against the
Government's plans to suspend the poll. Only two of the candidates answered
Mr Padure's invitation on Monday: Sorin Opreascu, the candidate
representing the opposition Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR),
and Constantin Cojocaru, the candidate representing the Party of the
National Right (PDN). The three candidates said the government decision was
actually breaking the Constitution, the law and democracy in Romania. They
have also criticised the poor administration of Bucharest in the last two
years. Referring to the costs of the process, the three candidates agreed
that it was not a reason to deteriorate the rule of law. "Dictature is far
cheeper than democracy", Mr Sorin Oprescu added referring to the same
issue. Adrian Berindei, the vicepresident of the Democrat Christian Union
(UDC), Dorel Bahri, the secretary general of the Humanitarian Party in
Romania (PUR) and Matei Bratianu, the leader of the National Trade Union
Block (BNS), have also attended the meeting. All participants have signed
an open letter to Romania's President Emil Constantinescu and expressed
their protest. RADOR
[03] PAR press conference
Romania's Alternative Party (PAR) believes that the elections for the City
Hall in Bucharest are necessary. At a press conference on Monday, PAR first
vicepresident Adrian Iorgulescu said the law should be observed even when
high costs were involved. Referring to the recent statement of bishop
Laszlo Tokes, Mr Iorgulescu said: "It was born dead as the UDMR itself was
not supporting it". PAR would like the political parties have their own
candidates in the local elections. The PAR leader announced his party was
expected to launch "The Right Wing Manifesto for Youth" this autumn, a
sequel to the "Right Wing Manifesto" already issued. RADOR
[04] Open letter to President Constantinescu
In an open letter to President Emil Constantinescu, the "Infratirea" trade
union in machine-building industry is urging the president to use the
prerogatives allowing him to dissolve the parliament, dismiss the
government and organise early elections. According to the letter issued in
Brasov, the early elections may be less damaging to Romania than another
two years under the current government ruling. The government is blamed for
the delays in the privatisation process - the only way to economic recovery
- and for the "disastrous agreements reached with the international
financial bodies, and the IMF in the first place". RADOR
[05] General strike of mining trade unionists suspended
The general strike starting in the Jiu Valley on Monday morning was
suspended in the evening of the same day. The announcement was made by the
Mining Trade Unions League who addressed a phone message to all managers of
mining utilities. As the unpaid wages issue was solved, the trade unionists
decided to suspend their strike. According to trade unionists, the work was
to resume starting with Shift 4 (the midnight shift) and all measures would
be taken to restore normality. RADOR
[06] Opening ceremony of the 1998-1999 school year in Sibiu
Romania's President Emil Constantinescu has attended the opening ceremony
of the 1998-1999 school year at the Gheorghe Lazar College in the
Transylvanian town of Sibiu. Participants also included Education Minister
Andrei Marga and other Romanian officials. President Constantinescu has
praised in his opening speech the style of education the Transylvanians
were promoting for three centuries now - an educational system based on
scientific rigour, discipline and national spirit. Education Minister
Andrei Marga focused on recent changes in the national education system
while praising the first steps in the field. He said there was a need of
change pointing out that the school should lead to the recovery of the
Romanian society. The agenda of the official visit also included the school
in Seica Mare hosting the Transylvanian Council (Dieta) meeting in 1541,
and the city of Medias. While in Medias, the official delegation visited a
EU-Phare-financed pilot-school (the Gas National School) and the National
Training Centre for German language teachers at the Schuller Haus. RADOR
[07] Italian defence minister on a visit to Romania
While in Bucharest on Monday evening, Italian Defence Minister Beniamino
Andreatta said the NATO and EU expansion could secure the peaceful
development of the region where both Romania and Italy were placed. Mr
Andreatta has reiterated his country's support of Romania's EU and NATO
accession while expressing the hope that his visit was expected to improve
military relations between the two countries. RADOR
[08] Russian prime minister's message to his Romanian counterpart
Russia's Prime Minister Evgueny Primakov sent a message to his Romanian
counterpart Radu Vasile. The message was delivered at a meeting on Monday
between Prime Minister Radu Vasile and Valery Keneaikin, the Russian
ambassador to Romania. The message is praising the realistic and balanced
policies that both the Romanian Government and the prime minister are
promoting. The document is also an invitation for Prime Minister Radu
Vasile to visit Russia as soon as possible. Romania's Government Press
Office says the talks between Prime Minister Radu Vasile and ambassador
Keneaikin focused on issues concerning the economic relations between the
two countries. The Russian guest pointed out that concrete solutions could
be found to revigorate the Romanian exports to Russia. As the recent
developments in Russia were also discussed, Prime Minister Radu Vasile
hoped Russia would continue the process of recovery and reform. RADOR
[08] MApN state secretary Constantin Dudu Ionescu on a visit to Norway
Secretary of state Constantin Dudu Ionescu, also the head of the Department
for defence policies in Romania's National Defence Ministry (MApN) is on a
three-day visit to Norway (September 14-16) following an invitation by his
Norwegian counterpart Jon Lunde. The talks are expected to focus on issues
of major interest such as NATO's restructuring and ways of improving its
expansion process, the way Norway may support Romania in its attempt to
join the Euro-Atlantic structures, recent developments in ratifying the
Convention banning antipersonnel landmines and aspects of security and
regional cooperation in South-East Europe. RADOR
[09] Romanian participation in the "Shield of Peace '98" multinational
military exercise
Four Romanian officers in the peacekeeping 151 "Razboieni" infantery
batallion are participating in the "Shield of Peace '98" computerised
training exercise for commanders and chiefs of staff organised in the
Ukrainian city of Lvov between September 14-24. The exercise is part of the
Partnership for Peace programme and participants include officers in 17
NATO member and partner states. The exercise is designed to focus on
combined decision-making, command and control procedures for troops taking
part in peacekeeping operations. The exercise is also expected to improve
abilities of mutual understanting and cooperation between land troops in
the countries involved. RADOR
[10] Viorel Coifan, new president of Danube-Cris-Mures-Tisa Euro-region
At a meeting of county councillors last weekend in the Hungarian border
city of Bekescsaba, the president of the Timis County Council, Viorel
Coifan, was inaugurated as president of the Danube-Cris-Mures-Tisa Euro-
region. The Euro-region includes counties in Hungary, Yugoslavia and
Romania, and it is designed to promote economic and cultural relations
between the counties. Mr Viorel Coifan is expected to concentrate on
programmes designed to support the Romanian minorities living in Hungarian
and Yugoslav member counties. RADOR
[11] Setting up of WUHM Romanian branch
36 Romanian Hungarian mayors and 10 Hungarian mayors have attended the
inauguration of the Romanian branch of the World Union of Hungarian Mayors
(WUHM) in the Transylvanian city of Miercurea Ciuc on Monday. The WUHM is
aimed at establishing closer economic and cultural relations between
Hungarians abroad and Hungarians living in motherland Hungary and
preserving the national identity of Hungarians living in other countries.
RADOR
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