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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-02-24
February 24, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Letter of President Constantinescu to the House of Deputies
[02] 1998 state budget under debate
[03] PNTCD press conference
[04] Parties in the governing coalition, PD excepted, agree with the
government proposals
[05] Informal meeting between IMF delegates and Romanian trade union
representatives
[01] Letter of President Constantinescu to the House of Deputies
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has called on the House of Deputies
to pass the bill on our country's participation in the multinational
intervention force in Iraq. The request was made in a letter to the speaker
of the Lower House. The document says that, as a responsible member of the
international community wishing to join the Euro-Atlantic structures,
Romania should bring her own contribution to the multinational operations
the UN Security Council resolutions have stipulated. Therefore, our country
is to send around 60 troops including a medical team, a team of experts in
nuclear, biological and chemical protection and a logistics team. At the
same time, Romania is allowing access of the participant fighter planes to
the air bases in Bucharest-Otopeni, Timisoara and Constanta. The Romanian
mission is expected to last around 90 days. RADOR, February 24
[02] 1998 state budget under debate
At Cotroceni Palace on Monday, Romanian President Emil Constantinescu met
Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea and budget, finance and economic
commissioners in both Houses of the Parliament for talks concerning the
1998 budget law. "In my opinion, the last year budget was drawn up rather
incorrectly, though legally, as there were no consultations between the
government and the commissions in arliament as there should have been.
Before discussing the budget in parliament, the government should have
consultations with all parties, and I mean the Opposition parties included",
President Constantinescu said. The president has expressed his dicontent
with the way the negotiations had been going on until now, and he pointed
out: "According to the state finance law, you know very well that those uld
have had the budget already approved by the end of last year. And you know
very well the current situation. We should be operational, and as you see,
we are now at the end of the second month and we still act according to the
last year budget - a damage to both the economy and the citizens". RADOR,
February 24
[03] PNTCD press conference
Mr Ion Diaconescu, the president of the governing Christian-Democrat
National Peasant Party (PNTCD), has said that consultations were expected
today between party leaders of the governing coalition. The government is
supposed to get political support for approximating the IMF conditions in
the negotiations between the two sides. Despite rumours and pressure, PNTCD
has expressed its further support for the Ciorbea Cabinet. President Ion
Diaconescu said the prime minister will be replaced only following a
negative vote in parliament. He admits that nothing is final and the future
could be surprising: "Nobody gets a job for good. In case of a censure vote
or in case such important laws as the budget law or the IMF report will not
get a majority vote in parliament, then the prime minister should resign
automatically. If the prime minister fails in getting the support, then he
will resign, and then the president is supposed to decide what to do next:
name the same Mr Ciorbea or name another person to form a new government or
see if the coalition could go futher on... It is only then, that the crisis
will really break out, and in a few days, all these formulas we are
discussing will finally materialise". RADOR, February 24
[04] Parties in the governing coalition, PD excepted, agree with the
government proposals
Discussions on the budget and the IMF conditions for its third tranche of
loan were subject to renewed differences between parties in the governing
coalition. The Ciorbea Cabinet has urged the coalition parties to support
the tough measures to be taken after its negotiations with the IMF would
end. All parties in the governing coalition agree with the government
proposals while the Democratic Party (PD) is further pleading for a new
government. At a meeting with party leaders Sunday evening, the Cabinet
ministers have presented their versions concerning ways of accelerating the
reform. Due to social consequences of the IMF conditions, the government
felt it needed a stronger political support.
Mircea Ionescu Quintus, the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL):
"Through their simple presence, the political parties prove they support
the activity of our government".
Marko Bela, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania (UDMR): "There are more solutions, and even more versions
concerning both the budget and the IMF conditions". PD leader Petre Roman:
"There is a need for a new political basis, for a renewed government able
to do in 1998 what it could not do in 1997, and eliminate the growing
delays and losses. I felt the prime minister did not know where the
governing boat should be navigated". Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea: "It is
for a long time that I know I was becoming a training exercise for the
election campaign, but I thought the issue of the budget was serious enough
and could be left out of an election campaign which is premature, I think".
RADOR, February 24
[05] Informal meeting between IMF delegates and Romanian trade union
representatives
An informal meeting between IMF delegates and Romanian main trade union
federations took place at the Victoria Palace yesterday. According to trade
union leader Radu Colceag, trade unionists have presented their own points
of view concerning the process of reform. RADOR, February 24
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