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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-09-25
September 25, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Senate Proceedings;
[02] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[03] Cabinet Meeting;
[04] Minister Remes Says He Should Submit His Minitry's Priorities to the
PNL for Approval;
[05] CDR National Council Meeting;
[06] PDSR Concerns about Presidency and Government's 'Silent Policy' on
Unconstitutional Actions;
[07] PD Against Diversity Language Teaching State University;
[08] PSDR Press Conference.
[09] Protest Rally Organised by Romania's Party of Retired People;
[10] Free Trade Unions in Romania's Forestry Threaten to Start Protests.
[01] Senate proceedings
At its meeting on Thursday, the Romanian Senate has adopted the draft law
on organising Romania's European Institute - an institution designed to
draw up and implement the European integration policies and promote the
European spirituality and values. The EU-Phare programme is to cover the
financing in the first three years while the Romanian Government is to take
it over gradually in the fourth year. The Senate has also adopted the draft
law amending and completing the Law 61/1993 on child allowance. The project
will allow the invalid children of I and II degree and other disabled
children to get such allowances up to the age of 18. The youth over 18 may
benefit from state allowances until they graduate an educational insitution
according to law. Young people delaying their studies for health reasons
are also included. RADOR
[02] House of Deputies proceedings
At their meeting on Thursday, the deputies have passed a series of draft
laws such as the draft law amending the sanitary-veterinarian law
establishing tariffs for services at the National Office for Land, Geodesy
and Cartography, the draft law on fiscal registration for tax-payers, the
draft law concerning taxes on customs services and the draft law concerning
taxes on duty-free and diplomatic duty-free shop licence. RADOR <P>
[03] Cabinet meeting
At its meeting on Thursday, the Romanian Cabinet has adopted the draft law
on organising the Government insitution and its ministries. The Cabinet
intends to separate the administration departments from the political
departments and ensure a flexible framework allowing a government structure
according to the wish of any future prime minister. Cabinet members should
be Romanian citizens living in Romania. They should have the right to elect
and they are not supposed to have a criminal record or involved in other
activities incompatible with their position in the Cabinet. The Government
includes the prime minister, state ministers, ministers and minister
delegates. The state ministers may also act as ministers. The prime
minister is the head of the Government and its coordinator fulfilling his
resposibilities according to law. The prime minister is representing the
Government before domestic and international institutions. The Government
is politically responsible for its activity before the Parliament. The
Cabinet has also adopted the emergency ordinance stipulating temporary
additional customs duties on imported goods. Romanian imports are subject
to an additional 6% customs duty by the year 2000. The tax is to drop
gradually according to the balance of spendings. The measure covers all
imports, gas, oil electricity supply and medicines excepted. Other
exceptions include duty-free goods and foreign credit-financed imports for
public institutions. RADOR
The Romanian Government has established the day of October 25 as the date
of the early by-elections for the mayor general of Bucharest. It has also
approved the type of vote bulletins, electoral lists and stamps to be used
during the voting. According to local elections Law, the candidates are
allowed three days to ask the public broadcasters for broadcasting time
during their campaigning. Any requests after that deadline are not to be
considered. The electoral programmes are allowed only after the candidates
register at the Electoral Bureau in Bucharest. RADOR
[04] Minister Remes says he should submit his minitry's priorities to the
PNL for approval
Romania's new Finance Minister Decebal Traian Remes, has told a press
conference on Thursday that his first obligation was to submit his
minitry's priorities to the National Liberal Party (PNL) for approval and
then make them public. RADOR
[05] CDR National Council meeting
At its meeting on Thursday, the National Council of the Democratic
Convention in Romania (CDR) has discussed issues concerning preparations
for the local elections campaign in Bucharest and the new CDR protocol. The
Council has decided to sent to the Nobel Prize Commission a letter
supporting the candidacy of King Michael I for the Nobel Peace Prize. The
CDR leaders have failed however to make any decision concerning the
coalition's new protocol. After the meeting, CDR leader Ion Diaconescu told
the press that the Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD
rejected any increase in energy prices for civilians while stressing that
it was however the Finance Ministry who was supposed to make the final
decision. Mr Diaconescu said the alleged dismissals of some PNTCD ministers
had not been on the meeting's agenda. RADOR
[06] PDSR concerns about Presidency and Government's 'silent policy' on
unconstitutional actions
The Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) has expressed its concern
about the 'silent policy' that both President Emil Constantinescu and the
Government were promoting in obvious cases of unconstitutional actions
threatening Romania's territorial integrity and sovereignty. In a letter to
Prime Minister Radu Vasile on September 24, PDSR vicepresident Ioan Mircea
Pascu says it was not the Hungarian language teaching state university that
was all about, but issues strictly related to the national and united
character of the Romanian State. The letter is urging the prime minister to
answer all concerns about the concessions to the demands of the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and extremist groups in
Hungary. RADOR
[07] PD against diversity language teaching state university
The Democratic Party is further against the setting up of diversity
language teaching state universities in Romania. The announcement was made
by the PD Minister for Parliament Affairs Alexandru Sassu at a press
conference on Thursday. The PNTCD, PNL, PD and UDMR MP groups have
submitted on Wednesday to the House of Deputies's Commission for education
affairs a letter saying that the setting up of diversity language teaching
state universities was possible only under a special law. Mr Sassu said the
text was only mentioning a possibility, which did not mean the project was
absolutely necessary. The proposal did not deal with the setting up of such
institutions, but only admitted a particular right, minister Sassu added.
RADOR
[08] PSDR press conference
At a press conference on Thursday, the president of the Romanian Social
Democrat Party (PSDR), Sergiu Cunescu, has expressed the hope that the
appointment of Decebal Traian Remes as Romania's new finance minister was a
good decision. He wished the new minister to prove his efficiency and
benefit from his advisers' substantial support. Referring to the alleged
merger between his party and the Alliance for Romania Party (ApR), Mr
Cunescu said the final decision was still to be made. RADOR
[09] Protest rally organised by Romania's Party of Retired People
Old people representing Romania's Party of Retired People have gathered in
the Revolution Plaza in Bucharest on Thursday. According to party leader
George Munteanu, their protests are due to poor living condisitions, the
government's decision to raise taxes and duties, and growing inflation. Mr
Munteanu said: "We understand the country is now facing growing
difficulties, but our pensions are actually representing only 30% of a
salary. If you add taxes and other duties, then the pension makes 20% of it
while in the world, pensions raise up to 80% of a salary". RADOR
[10] Free trade unions in Romania's forestry threaten to start protests
The leader of the free trade union federation in Romania's forestry, Vasile
Badica, has announced on Thursday his federation's open conflict with
Romania's Presidency and Government. A protest rally in Bucharest on
September 29 will be followed by daily marches and picketing actions around
state institutions. Trade unionists' demands include concrete measures to
help the industry recover, regulations banning the closing down of
commercial companies in the field, dismissals stopped and guarantee of
salaries according to their average in Romania's economy. RADOR
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