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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-11-25
November 25, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Opposition MPs Still on Strike;
[02] No Vote in Parliament for the New BNR Administration Council;
[03] PNTCD's BCCC Meeting;
[04] Hearings Before the Health Commission in the House of Deputies;
[05] "The Government Has to Stop the Economic Disaster", ApR Leader Teodor
Melescanu Believes;
[06] Early Winter in Romania;
[07] Cartel Alfa Communique;
[08] March and Protest Rally in Petrosani;
[09] Monthly Average Spendings of a Family;
[10] Vatican's Ambassador to Romania;
[11] New Arrest in the Cigarette 2 Case.
[01] Opposition MPs still on strike
Despite the absence of the opposition groups, the Romanian Senate and House
of Deputies have however adopted on Monday a number of documents. The
opposition parties in parliament have announced last weekend that they were
not supposed to attend the parliament sessions after the Senate has failed
to discuss their "Rule of Law" motion. The permanent bureaux in both
Chambres have considered on Monday the setting up of a commission to draw
up a protocol designed to include some of the Opposition's demands, but no
decision was made yet. RADOR
[02] No vote in parliament for the new BNR Administration Council
The joint commissions for budget, banking and financial affairs in
parliament have failed to give their final vote for the proposals of the
new Administration Council of Romania's National Bank (BNR). The chief
commissioner in the House of Deputies, Dan Constantinescu, has announced
that the MPs have failed to make the necessary quorum favouring the final
decision. The permanent bureaux in the two chambres should fix another date
for the voting. RADOR
[03] PNTCD's BCCC meeting
The Co-ordination and Control Bureau (BCCC) of the Christian Democrat
National Peasant Party (PNTCD) has considered the criticism and the issues
put forward at the party's recent meetings and seminars. A press communique
after the meeting says the talks concentrated on issues concerning the
activity of the party's ministers, the party's co-operation with its
partners in the governing coalition and the activity of the party's
structures. The communique says that proposals were made to improve the
party's activity but further discussions were expected at the next BCCC
meeting to be also attended by the PNTCD ministers. A larger co-ordination
committee is to examine the political facts and adopt the solutions
requested. RADOR
[04] Hearings before the health commission in the House of Deputies
The hearing of Petru Armean and Alexandru Ciocalteu, state secretaries with
Romania's Health Ministry, has been taking place before the health
commission in the House of Deputies. At the hearing on Tuesday, the two
officials have provided details about the way the health insurance law was
implemented, the ministry's restructuring and its budget next year. Chief
commissioner Ion Berciu said after the hearing that his colleagues
expressed dissatisfaction in case the health insurance law was to fail
following the ministry's decision to set up the House of health insurance
for the military. Following the decision, the setting up of the National
House for Insurance is unjustified as it may become a segregating and
antinational act of no legal support. RADOR
[05] "The government has to stop the economic disaster", ApR leader Teodor
Melescanu believes
The leaders of the Alliance for Romania Party (ApR) believe that the
governing coalition has lost its ruling potential. ApR leader Teodor
Melescanu told a press conference on Tuesday that a government of experts
was the only solution which was supposed to gain an all party political
support. Mr Melescanu said the government should stop the economic decline
and prepare early elections later next year. The ApR leader has announced
he would submit the proposal to President Constantinescu at the talks he
was going to have at the Cotroceni Palace. RADOR
[06] Early winter in Romania
November seem to be Europe's cruellest month this year. An early, sudden
and powerful winter with lowest temperatures and a growing number of
victims following the cold are quite a record for this time of the year.
Heavy winds stroke Romania recently and at least 60 Romanians, most of them
homeless, froze to death. The Romanian Army was ordered to start relief
operations and save the around 2,000 people caught by snowfall on routes in
their snowbound cars. Low temperatures, a record for this time of the year,
were actually reported all over Europe where the old and the homeless
proved the most vulnerable. RADOR
[07] Cartel Alfa communique
The Cartel Alfa National Trade Union Confederation believes it should
express its position on the Emergency Ordinance 39/1998 concerning the
annual bonuses. The confederation said a social pact between the government
and the trade union was out of question. The government decision not to
grant the annual bonuses is a measure that breaks the prime minister's
previous promises and the agreements already reached with the social
partners. The confederation says it is not supposed to support the
government anymore as the prime minister's actions dismissed his previous
statements and promises. RADOR
[08] March and protest rally in Petrosani
Some 500 miners of commercial companies supplying the Pitcoal Autonomous
Utility and trade unions in the Jiu Valley Mining Trade Union League have
marched and then gathered in a protest rally before the City Hall in
Petrosani. The miners' demands include the pay of the unpaid wages and the
lack of any future in the mining. The protesters led by Miron Cozma and
other trade union leaders said that both the commercial companies' workers
and the miners in the Jiu Valley were desperate. Miron Cozma says that a
general strike is planned on November 30 unless all the workers and miners
of the Pitcoal Autonomous Utility are to get their unpaid wages within a
few days. RADOR
[09] Monthly average spendings of a family
The average spendings of a family hit around 1.6 million lei between July
1997 and the same month this year. The Statistics National Commission says
that 64% of the money, already 20,000 lei smaller than a family revenue,
represent consumer spendings. 50% of the money go on food, 28% - on other
goods and 22% - on services. RADOR
[10] Vatican's ambassador to Romania
The pope has appointed Jean-Claude Perisset as Vatican's ambassador to
Romania. A well-known diplomat, Mr Perisset is expected to devote himself
to the restoration of the Romanian Church after the communist era. Pope
John Paul II is expected to visit Romania next year. RADOR
[11] New arrest in the Cigarette 2 case
The Romanian military prosecutors have issued a 30-day arrest warrant for
Jasim Reijah, an Iraqi citizen, for his alleged involvement in the
Cigarette 2 affair. The Military Attorney's Office has accused Mr Reijah of
being accessory to smuggling and involvement in criminal actions. As
Gheorghe Trutulescu testified in the court, it was Reijah who, along with
Gabriel Negoescu, paid for the cigarette transport on March 23 and favoured
its access to the country. RADOR
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