|
|
|
RADOR: News from Romania, 98-12-04
December 4, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Senate Proceedings;
[02] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[03] Government Communique;
[04] PNL Press Conference;
[05] PSDR Leader's Opinion on Crisis in Parliament;
[06] The PD Is Against Double Accise Duties on Petrol;
[07] FER Demands;
[08] PAR Leader Against the Dismissal of the Head of the County Sanitary
Directorate in Iassy;
[09] Inquiry into the Fire on Dacia Boulevard;
[10] Open Letter to Prime Minister Radu Vasile;
[11] Turkey's President on a Visit to Romania;
[12] The Cancellation of Prime Minister Radu Vasile's Visit to Budapest
Still not Confirmed;
[13] Botosani County - Member of the Assembly of European Regions.
[01] Senate proceedings
At their meeting in the Romanian Senate on Thursday, the Majority and the
Opposition in parliament have agreed that the leaders of all the parties in
parliament should meet on Monday, December 7, at noon, for another round of
talks in the attempt to end the two-week conflict affecting the legal
proceedings. The Senate's speaker Petre Roman says the agenda of talks is
expected to include issues concerning the legal priorities designed to step
up the reforms to be adopted as soon as possible, and an agreement
establishing the framework of the relations between the majority and
opposition MPs to restore confidence between the two sides and reduce the
number of emergency ordinances. RADOR
[02] House of Deputies proceedings
In the absence of the Opposition, the House of Deputies has rejected the
Permanent Bureau's proposal to extend the working schedule until Friday.
The deputies have adopted the Emergency Ordinance 11/1998 setting up the
"Star of Romania" Order. The deputies' plenum is expected to meet again on
Monday at 4 PM. RADOR
[03] Government communique
A government communique says the Cabinet has adopted on Thursday a number
of ordinances, rulings and draft laws such as the draft law allowing the
government to issue ordinances. The Cabinet has also adopted its official
position on the European Commission's economic report of the progress made
by Romania in its preparations to join the EU. Government spokesman Rasvan
Popescu said the government was expected to send letters to both speakers
of the Chambres in parliament urging them to call a joint session to
approve the Cabinet's reshuffle. RADOR
[04] PNL press conference
The National Liberal Party (PNL) says the political crisis in parliament
was due to the Opposition in its attempt to press for early elections. PNL
leader Mircea Ionescu Quintus told a press conference on Thursday that the
early elections were only supposed to damage the country's economy and no
one was expected to benefit from them. Mr Quintus expressed the hope that
the Monday meeting between party leaders would lead to a settlement
designed to end the crisis. On the other hand, PNL first vicepresident
Valeriu Stoica reiterated his party's support of the Radu Vasile Cabinet in
its effort to take the measures to prevent an economic and financial
crisis. RADOR
[05] PSDR leader's opinion on crisis in parliament
At a press conference on Thursday, the leader of the Romanian Social
Democrat Party (PSDR), Sergiu Cunescu, said he did not expected the
Opposition to give up its claims after the talks with the Majority. In his
opinion, the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) initiated the
strike only because it could not get a key-position in the Administration
Council of Romania's National Bank (BNR), and the ruling coalition's
decision allowing the proportiaonal representation in the BNR Council was a
mistake. Following the decision, six seats in the council went to ruling
parties while the other three went to the Opposition. The PSDR said it was
still supporting a dialogue with the Opposition on the major problems
Romania was facing. RADOR
[06] The PD is against double accise duties on petrol
"The Democratic Party (PD) is against double accise duties on petrol; the
PD ministers will express their position when the Cabinet will discuss the
matter". The statement was made by PD vicepresident Cristian Dumitrescu at
a press conference on Thursday. He said that even Transport Minister Traian
Basescu, who supported the idea recently, was persiaded to change his
maind. "The PD believes that the Budget was not supposed to grow by
increasing the accise duties on petrol unless the provisions in the
agreement signed on September 4 at the Cotroceni Palace would have been
observed and the Finance Ministry would have made its duties. It is only
the result of the failure in achieving reforms and the people should not
pay for it", Mr Dumitrescu concluded. RADOR
[07] FER demands
The Romanian Ecologic Federation (FER) would like the Democratic Convention
in Romania (CDR) to express more interest in Romania's social and political
situation and allow a more accurate analyse of the existing relations
between the CDR member parties. FER vicepresident Octavian Ciubota said his
party reiterated its support of the CDR despite its mistakes and
hesitations. He expected the ecology to become a real political force after
the year 2000 and announced that his party already drew up a governing
programme for that year. RADOR
[08] PAR leader against the dismissal of the head of the County Sanitary
Directorate in Iassy
The leadership of Romania's Alternative Party (PAR) believes that Vasile
Astarastoaie, the head of the County Sanitary Directorate in Iassy, was
removed from the job for political reasons. PAR leader varujan Vosganian
told an extraodinary press conference on Thursday that, following the
decision made by Romania's Health Minister Hajdu Gabor, he would take the
government to court and ask for the decision to be cancelled. He believes
that MD Astarastoaie, also PAR vicepresident, was dismissed because of his
repeated criticism against the delays in restoring and reforming the
country;s health system, but also because of PAR's recent withdrawal from
the CDR. In his turn, MD Vasile Astarastoaie rejected the accusations and
said the decision proved that the "freedom of speech was a right Romania
still abused". RADOR
[09] Inquiry into the fire on Dacia Boulevard
A team of prosecutors has started on Thursday to examine evidence following
the explosion who killed two people, enjured othe six and destroyed the
flats of a building on 33 Dacia Boulevard in Bucharest. The prosecuters
found that the fire was caused by a gas leakage followed by an electric
spark in the apartment #45. The authorities are to draw up a report on the
gas pipe system and establish the fact who lead to explosion and fire. The
Attorney's Office with the Bucharest City Court is to carry out an inquiry
and establish the guilt. RADOR
[10] Open letter to Prime Minister Radu Vasile
In an open letter to Prime Minister Radu Vasile, the trade union federation
in food industry reminds the prime minister of the conflict it initaited on
November 30 and requests an answer to its demands. The first step to end
the conflict may be a meeting with the prime minister on December 8 and, in
case the demand is not answered, a general strike may occur. The trade
unionists say they decided to step up protests because their repeated
suggestions and proposals designed to improve the food industry were always
neglected. The federation believes that all the governments since 1989 have
failed in their attempt to restore the agriculture. The letter mentions
that the federation has been giving its vote for the CDR in the 1996
elections, but the coalition failed to restore the country's agriculture
and food industry. RADOR
[11] Turkey's president on a visit to Romania
After the official talk in Bucharest on Thursday, the presidents of Romania
and Turkey, Emil Constantinescu and Suleyman Demirel, said there were
improving political relations between the two countries and such relations
were the support of substantial economic co-operation. The two presidents
have welcomed the 1 billion dollar trade between Romania and Turkey as well
as the Turkish investments in Romania. President Constantinescu said the
projects of the energy transport across Romania and Turkey were not
competing but completing one another as Romania was actually helping Turkey
to build an oil refinery. He publicly thanked the Turkish president for his
support of Romania's NATO membership. President Demirel reiterated his
country's support and siad that both countries were interested to develop a
comprehensive bilateral co-operation. Referring to the interest Turkey has
expressed in the helicopter manufacturing at IAR Ghimbav, President
Constantinescu said discussions were still going on and no public
statements could be made during the talks. The Efes Pilsner Beer Factory
opened in the city of Ploiesti under the auspices of President
Constantinescu and President Demirel. At a ceremony on Thursday afternoon,
the Turkish president was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the
Bucharest University. RADOR
[12] The cancellation of Prime Minister Radu Vasile's visit to Budapest
still not confirmed
Although Romania did not confirm officially the cancellation of Prime
Minister Radu Vasile's visait to Budapest, it seems the Romanian prime
minister is really not supposed to arrive in Budapest. An anonymous
politician said the delay was due to Romania's political instability and
uncleared disputes about the setting up of a Hungarian language teaching
university in Romania. "As the political instability is not solved, the
prime minister is expected to leave the country for short travels only",
the politician suggested. RADOR
[13] Botosani County - member of the Assembly of European Regions
The vicepresident of the County Council in Botosani, Constantin Manolache,
has left for the Austrian city of Linz on Thursday to attend the meeting of
the Assembly of European Regions who is about to accept the Romanian County
of Botosani as one of its members. The Assembly's Bureau has already
approved the county's membership, the Botosani County becoming the 26-th
Romanian county joining the European body. RADOR
|
