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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-11-04
November 4, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Amendments to Education Law under Debate in the House of Deputies;
[02] Presidential Reply to Lawyers' Claims of Irregularities in Legal
Procedures;
[03] PDSR Criticism of Finance Minister's Attempts to Impose Taxes on
College Training;
[04] PNR in Search of Contacts with Other Parties;
[05] Adrian Severin under New Sanctions;
[06] Nicolae Stanca (PSDR) - the New Prefect of the County of Hunedoara;
[07] Miron Cozma - Still the Leader of the Miners in Jiu Valley;
[08] Unlimited General Strike by DURA SA in Timisoara;
[09] Talks between the Romanian Prime Minister and His French Counterpart;
[10] British Crown Prince Charles on a Visit to Romania;
[11] Italian House of Deputies Speaker on a Visit to Romania;
[12] PRM Delegation on a Visit to China;
[13] Seminar on International Co-operation to Fight Cultural Treasure
Traffiking;
[01] Amendments to Education Law under debate in the House of Deputies
At their meeting on November 3, the deputies have started debatNs on the
Emergency Ordinance amending and completing the Education Law. The deputies
representing the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)
supported by deputies of the Christian Democrat National Peasant Party
(PNTCD) said the project should be sent back to the special commission.
They insisted on a number of errors and claimed the project did not include
all the bills they proposed. In reply, the Opposition representatives and
the deputies representing the Democratic Party (PD) said the debates should
start immediately as the bills could be discusssed at the plenum. RADOR
[02] Presidential reply to lawyers' claims of irregularities in legal
procedures
In response to recent complaints by leading members of Lawyers Association
at a press conference on November 2, a communique issued by the Press
Office of the Romanian Presidency says "the president of Romania has never
intervened in a case on trial. The National Council for Action against
Corruption and OrganiseN Crime or the president have neither seen nor ever
requested a file for examination". The communique says the president is to
meet a delegation of the Lawyers Association to discuss ways aimed at
improving the activity of the judiciary. RADOR
[03] PDSR criticism of finance minister's attempts to impose taxes on
college training
The Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) believes that recent
attempts by the finance minister to impose taxes on college training is a
decisive step towards an elitist system. PDSR vicepresident Ioan Mircea
Pascu told a press conference on Tuesday that the initiative of Finance
Minister Decebal Traian Remes would badly affect the training level of the
Romanians. The PDSR leaders believe such taxes will eliminate the only
opportunity allowing Romanians to get a better position in a world where
high level training is a top priority. The party says the measure proves
the coalition's inability to rule the country and, under the circumstances,
the PowNr is trying to rely on poor trained people as they may be subject
to an easier manipulation. RADOR
[04] PNR in search of contacts with other parties
The Executive Bureau of the Romanian National Party (PNR) would like to
intesify its contacts with other political parties to put together a centre
political pole. PNR first vicepresident Ioan Alecu said the virtual merger
between its party and the Romanians' National Unity Party PUNR) should be
achieved under the name of the PNR, a name which other parties were also
expected to share. RADOR
[05] Adrian Severin under new sanctions
Adrian Severin is no more allowed to speak as representative of the PD
parliamentary group in the House of Deputies. The PD is expected to ask as
well for its replacement in the OSCE parliamentary commission, a psoition
he got following the vote of both chmbres in Romanian Parliament.
Explaining the decision, the leader of the PD parliamentary group in the
lower House, Bogdan Niculescu-Duvaz, claimed thaN Mr Severin's persistent
actions were damaging the party's credibility. And more, Mr Duvaz said the
defeat of the PD candidate for the Bucharest City Hall was partly due to
Adrian Severin's attacks against the party. The sanction against Mr Severin
was decided in his absence at a meeting of PD deputies. Adrian Severin is
not the only PD senior member displeased with the party's policy. Deputy
Adrian Vilau, senator Octavian Stireanu and Radu F. Alexandru have also
expressed their criticism against the PD leadership. RADOR
[06] Nicolae Stanca (PSDR) - the new prefect of the county of Hunedoara
The new prefect of the county of Hunedoara may be Nicolae Stanca, former
director general of the Copper Autonomous Utility in Deva. Following
government negotiations, no other ruling party has disputed the candidate
representing the Romanian Social Democrat Party (PSDR). Nicolae Stanca
replaces Pompiliu Budulan, who was removed by the Radu Vasile Cabinet at
the request ofthe League of the MinNng Trade Unions in Jiu Valley. RADOR
[07] Miron Cozma - still the leader of the miners in Jiu Valley
At an ordinary meeting on Monday, the Coordination Council of the Jiu
Valley Mining Trade Unions League has decided that Miron Cozma may still
act as its president. As most trade unionists would still like Miron Cozma
as their leader, the alleged elections for a new one were ruled out.
RADOR
[08] Unlimited general strike by DURA SA in Timisoara
After a warning strike on October 27, workers at the DURA SA commercial
company in Timisoara have started an unlimited general strike on Monday.
The workers' demands include the pay of August, September and October
unpaid wages, facilities to honour the contracts with ROMTELECOM and the
pay of the company's debts to the state. RADOR
[09] Talks between the Romanian prime minister and his French counterpart
While in Paris on November 3, Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile had talks
with his French counterpart Lionel Jospin. The Romanian primN minister said
after the meeting that the talks concentrated on issues concerning co-
operation projects between Romania and France, Romania's position on the
Kosovo crisis, recent developments in Russia and the introduction of the
single European currnecy. Prime Minister Radu Vasile said the meeting was
one of the most efficient he had in recent days and praised the French
extremely favourable position on Romania's integration into European and
Euro-Atlantinc structures. According to the same source, France's economic
and political support of Romania is most obvious. RADOR
[10] British Crown Prince Charles on a visit to Romania
HM Prince Charles of Wales, the heir to the British Throne, has arrived in
Romania on Tuesday for a three-day visit. Answering an invitation by
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu, His Royal Highness will spend two
days in Bucharest and another in Transylvania. Romania is the longest leg
of a four Balkan country- tour in support of democratic reforms. Nrince
Charles has arrived at the Otopeni Airport on bord of a private plane from
Slovenia, the first stage of a tour including also Bulgaria and Macedonia.
The heir to the Biritsh Crown was given a warm welcome by a Romanian
delegation led by Culture Minister Ion Caramitru and then met President
Emil Constantinescu at the Cotroceni Palace. His agenda include a series of
events expressing His Royal Highness' well-known efforts to prevent
environmental damages, preserve historical vestiges and support social
security measures. The British ambassador to Bucharest said Prince Charles
was most interested in Romania's cultural heritage he was trying to save
since the 80s when he asked Ceausescu to stop the demolition of villages.
The heir to the British Throne is the first high ranking official of
Britain's Royal House who has ever visited Romania. RADOR
[11] Italian House of Deputies speaker on a visit to Romania
The speaker of the Romanian Senate, Petre Roman, met Luciano Violante,Nthe
speaker of the House of Deputies in Italy. The talks on Tuesday focused
mainly on issues concerning the future co-operation between parliaments in
the two countries, actions to fight organised crime and ways to revigorate
the economic links between Romania and Italy. The situation in the province
of Kosovo and the countries' co-operation as UN members were also among the
issues on the agenda of the talks. RADOR
[12] PRM delegation on a visit to China
A communique says a delegation of the Greater Romania Party (PRM) led by
its leader, Corneliu Vadim Tudor, is on an official visit to China
following an invitation by the Central Committee of China's Communist Party
(CC CCP). The delegation also includes such PRM leading members as deputies
Corneliu Ciontu, Anghel Stanciu, Mitzura Arghezi and Ilie Mercea. The
Romanian delegates met Dai Bingguo, a CC CCP member and minister for
international affairs, deputy ministers in the International Affairs
Department and the Chinese LabouN and Social Protection Ministry as well as
Mr Qian Qichem, the former foreign minister of China. The PRM delegation is
expected to visit Iran in a few days. RADOR
[13] Seminar on international co-operation to fight cultural treasure
traffiking
Representatives if the Greek Police along with delegates in other 14 EU and
East-European states, Romania included, are attending a seminar in Athens
to seek better ways to fight cultural treasure smuggling. The experts will
seek concrete ways of co-operation and a common information system. Other
issues include the use of Internet operators and problems due to legal
restrictions. Financed by the EU, the seminar is expected to end on
November 4. RADOR
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