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RADOR: News from Romania, 99-04-23
April 23, 1999
RADOR NEWS AGENCY OF THE ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION
Political life
Romania's Parliament passed the request of NATO to use our country's air
space without any restriction
The two Chambers of the Parliament of this country have passed, 225 votes
for, 21 against and 99 abstentions the draft of NATO's request of unlimited
use of Romania's air space for the duration of air strikes against
Yugoslavia. According to RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI the document passed also
asks the Government of this country to further efforts with a view to
ensure guarantees for the security and territorial integrity of the
Romanian state erga omnes, fulfillment of necessary pledges for unlimited
access of NATO airships to use air space of Romania as well as assistance
for solving negative effects in the aftermath of the crisis in the region.
The document mentioned also specifies that the Parliament of Romania
reaffirms our wish to join NATO and to reach a peaceful solution of the
conflict as well as a firm option of Romania's participation in the efforts
of the international community in this sense, the source mentions. RADOR
CONTENTS
[01] Cabinet meeting
On Thursday the Cabinet debated the draft law on the amendment and
completion of the legislative framework regarding speeding up reform, a
draft to be finalized in the future cabinet meeting. Spokesperson Adriana
Saftoiu said that on the basis of this document the Cabinet will pledge
responsibility before plenum of Parliament next month.Also on Thursday the
Cabinet passed the memorandum concluded following negociations on the
demands of the four main trade unions discussed with Prime Minister Radu
Vasile. Mr. Ludovic Orban was appointed secretary of state and head of the
Department of Public Information following a decision of the Prime
Minister.Also yesterday the Cabinet passed a draft law for the amendment
and completion of Law l99\l998 refering to the right of graduates of
private colleges and pre-university units to take their final exams in
units of state education. Also passed were two decisions concerning VAT
exemption for a list of raw materials and facilities to mining units in
meeting their budget obligations. Still another decision sanctions the
setting up of the interministry anti- drug committee which is a consulting
body of the cabinet, transmits RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI. RADOR
[02] Talks between representatives of Parliament and of AOAR [Association
of Businessmen of Romania]
Thursday talks concluded between the representatives of Romania's
Parliament and of Asociatia Oamenilor de Afaceri din Romania - Association
of Businessmen of Romania- with the sides convening to take action for
promulgating the Law of ministerial responsibility in 3o days at the most
and the mediation between the two Chambers, the passing of the Law of civil
servant by 3o June at the latest, amendment to Law 3l regarding the
clarification of the statute of members of the AGA - General Assembly of
Share holders- as well as of the Administration Councils and managers of
state owned companies by the end of the present parliamentary session, the
passing of the bill on labour courts and severe punishment of illegal work
by 3o June at the latest as well as the consensus of systematic economic
strategy, reads a communique of the AOAR taken over by RADIO ROMANIA
ACTUALITATI.
[03] Press Conference of PNL - National Liberal Party -
The leadership of PNL is of the opinion that the main role in the action
that resulted in the signing of the letter of intention with IMF
representatives is finance minister Decebal Traian Remes as he accepted
lack of popularity for both himself and his party in order to focus on the
premises of signing the accord with the IMF.By the signing of the letter of
intention, said the President of the National Liberal Party, Mircea Ionescu-
Quintus at a press conference that unfolded yesterday, the risk was cut
down of the massive devaluation of the national currency while Romania's
access to international money markets was ensured. Also at the press
conference on Thursday, the President of the PNL said that the Prime
Minister appointed, at the reccomandation of the National Liberal Party,
Mr. Ludovic Orban as minister secretary of state at the Department of
Public information of the Government of Romania. Minister of Justice
Valeriu Stoica who is first vice president of the PNL said the trade
unions' request for his dismissal is surely a joke. He added that it is not
the trade unions that decide on the dismissal of a cabinet member. At the
same time the speaker mentioned that he made all efforts in the Parliament
of the country for the rapid passing of the law of ministerial
responsibility and he stressed the fact that trade unions amendments will
be promoted by emergency ordinances of the cabinet after the law is
promulgated by the President of Romania, RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI reports.
RADOR
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Social life
[04] Main trade union federations postponed the general strike by a month
The four main trade union federations decided to postpone general strike by
a month: initially the strike was to start on 26 April and it was adjourned
to 24 May if the demands of the trade unions are not met by the Cabinet
until then. The memorandum signed by the Prime ministers and the leaders of
the four main trade unions on Wednesday was passed by yesterday's cabinet
meeting. Thus the trade union leaders - according to what they told
reporters of RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI- give some more time to the
Government to put into effect the solutions jointly agreed. As the radio
source already mentioned transmits, at the end of the joint trade unions'
council meeting, a new demand was worded, namely that minister of justice
Valeriu Stoica be dismissed.
[05] March and rally of research-design trade union members
RADIO ROMKANIA ACTUALITATI informs listeners that research-design trade
union members organized a march and a rally in Bucharest on Thursday to
protest poor situation of research in our country. They demand more money
to scientific research from the state budget and amendment to the Law of
research aas well as exemption of taxes for the imports to this sector of
activity.
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International relations
[06] Statements of President Emil Constantinescu before he left for the
United States
President Emil Constantinescu will uphold Romania's point of view regarding
NATO's evolution in the Third Millenium at the session of the North
Atlantic Partnership. The President of Romania will also present a
programme of security and development for south eastern Europe, the BBC
informs. Romania's point of view is that Yugoslavia's reconstruction after
the war asks for massive investment coming from Western Europe and from the
United States. "We will insist in saying that investments are necessary for
Romania and that Romania has its own place in the reconstruction of
Yugoslavia" - said President Emil Constantinescu before he left for
Washington D.C. RADOR
[07] Meeting of the Parliamentary Mixed Romania- European Union Committee
Members of the Romanian Parliamentary delegation, regardless of the
political party which they represent have demonstrated at the Mixed Romania-
European Union meeting that there is will of continuing reform in this
country for us to be able to get even more closer to standards allowing us
to join the European Union said PD- Democratic Party-member and MP Mariana
Stoica, head of the Romanian delegation there.Mrs. Stoica told the envoy of
RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI to Brussels that our country gets 5o million USD
poorer each week because of the conflict in Yugoslavia. Romania was given
as a good example in the analysis regarding observance of human rights for
the way in which it solved issues of national minorities, said Mariana
Stoica. RADOR
[08] Partial replacement of men belonging to battalion 96 Engineers Corps
part of SFOR in Bosnia-Hertzegovina
Measures were taken for the complete security of Romanian military during
their trip to Bosnia-Hertzegovina to replace their comrades in Battalion 96
Engineers Corps and the platoon of Military Police reads a communique of
the Defense Ministry quoted by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI.
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Media news
[09] Warning strike of the radio communication trade unions
Thursday morning between lo.oo -lo.3o national radio programmes were not
heard as the Trade Union Federation of the Radio Communication company went
on a warning strike. RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs its listeners that
there is a contract concluded between the Romanian Radio Broadcasting
Corporation and the Radio Communication Company according to which the
latter performs transmitting services to the former: following divergencies
linked to money costs negociations are currently held by the two; however
the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation has fulfilled all money
obligations to the Radio Communication Company within the framework of
budget allocation. It is in these conditions that the Romanian Radio
Broadcasting Corporation considers that the action of the trade unions of
the radio communications company is groundless. The fact that national
radio programmes were interrupted is affecting national security in the
present political and military context in the Balkans and it also is an
abuse and shows lack of respect of audience. The leader of the FRATIA trade
union federation told us that as long as the cabinet does not issue an
emergency ordinance to clarify payment ways and funds of money at the
disposal of national radio and national television his colleagues working
for the radio communication company feel they are not satisfied with
present conditions and protest by interrupting radio and television
programmes.
[10] Romanian political personalities voice their satisfaction at the
signing of the letter of intention to the IMF.
The recently concluded round of negociations with the IMF was the theme of
a number of press conferences on 22 April, announces RADIO ROMANIA
ACTUALITATI.PD - Democratic Party - vice-president, Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz
said he was happy the letter of intention to the IMF was signed on
Tuesday."It is very important that the document has been signed. What we
must do now is to keep up to the pledges included in the letter. I think it
is a very strong signal for us to observe pledges assumed with a view to
obtaining budget resources, more exactly using budgetary resources as they
are stipulated in the budget" said vice president of the PD - Democratic
Party - Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz. The leadership of PNL - National Liberal
Party - is of the opinion that the main role in signing the letter of
intention together with the IMF is played by Finance Minister Decebal
Traian Remes. First vice-president of the party, Mr. Valeriu Stoica said in
this sense;"There has been quite a lot of pessimism in this period in
Romania expressed by both politicians and media. We should not forget that
specialists warned us in connexion with financial crisis both last year and
at the beginning of this year,and we were indeed threatened by such a
crisis rather seriously.Actually one of the reasons that led to the holding
of the round table at Cotroceni was that possibility. Now while much talk
went on about that threat of a financial crisis, we have had a finance
minister that was not the most popular person for many Romanians but who
kept on working and as a result of his activity we now have the premises
for concluding an accord with the IMF". RADOR
[11] Unexpected success of the bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance
The government of Romania was stimulated by the unexpected success of the
one million lei bonds sold earlier this week and have decided to issue and
sell more bonds of values ranging between five and twenty million lei, the
BBC reports."In the first two days of the former action we have sold bonds
worth 250 thousand million lei beyond any estimate. The motivation of our
business was to give ordinary people a chance, people that have small
savings at home and who might be tempted by substantial interest that
reaches 2o per cent in only ninety days. We have had people that bought in
the range of tens of millions, hundreds of millions and even thousands of
millions", said Director in the Ministry of Finance, Aron Racea.
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