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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-05-22
May 22, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Further Debates in Parliament over the Budget;
[02] Government Decisions;
[03] Amendments to Local Election Law;
[04] Government Restructuring;
[05] Cooperation Agreement Between ApR and PSDR;
[06] PD Believes That, fort the Time Being, the ApR PSDR Agreement Does Not
Affect the USD;
[07] Open Letter of Senator Ticu Dumitrescu;
[08] Recent Developments Concerning "Operation Cigarette 2";
[09] President Emil Constantinescu Met Mrs Karen Fogg;
[10] Prime Minister Radu Vasile Had Talks with Wallonian Minister-President
Robert Collignon;
[11] Defence Minister Supports "Cobra Project";
[12] Romanian Participation in Lisbon World Exhibition.
[01] Further debates in parliament over the Budget
The Budget was subject to further debates at a joint session in parliament
on Thursday. The MPs in the Romanian Senate and House of Deputies have
passed the budgets for culture, youth, sports, social securities, home
building, environment, agriculture, industry, trade, transMorts and
telecommunications. All funds were accepted according to government
proposals, the financial support for Romanians and Romanian organisations
abroad excepted: the initial 3.1 billion lei fund is expected to get
another 2 billion lei from the government reserve. RADOR
[02] Government decisions
At its session on Thursday, the government has adopted seven draft laws
proposed by the Ministry of Justice. The documents include the draft law
amending and completing the law on legal structures, the draft law amending
and completing the law concerning the Supreme Court of Justice and the
draft law amending and completing the law on military courts and attorney's
offices. Romanian Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica told a press conference
on Thursday that the military departments at the Supreme Court of Justice
were suspended while government spokesman Razvan Popescu announced that
Marcel Macarovschi, the leader of trade unions in mining industry, was
designated as state councellor foM special regions. RADOR
[03] Amendments to local election law
Government spokesman Razvan Popescu told a press conference on Thursday
that the Cabinet approved amendments to the local election law. According
to the project, if bielections are organised, the County Election Bureau is
to replace the Central Election Bureau (BEC). As far as the bielections in
Bucharest are concerned, the current law does not make any mention about
BEC attributions. Therefore, as the spokesman has pointed out, "the draft
law adopted today says that another election bureau is to be set in order
to take over BEC responsibilities". RADOR
[04] Government restructuring
Accoding to a government decision on Thursday, the Department for social
and political analyse, the Department for relations with trade unions and
employers, and the Department for public administration reform are
suspended. The Department for relations with parliament is to take over the
responsibilities of the Department for social and politMcal analyse while
the General Secretariate of the Government and the Reform Council will take
over the attributions of the other two departments. A secretary of state
will be designated to coordinate activity in the field. RADOR
[05] Cooperation agreement between ApR and PSDR
The opposition Alliance for Romania Party (ApR) and the ruling Romanian
Social Democrat Party (PSDR) have signed an agreement on Thursday
concerning their future cooperation in parliament. The agreement was signed
by the first vicepresidents of the two parties, Mircea Cosea (ApR) and Emil
Putin (PSDR). Accoding to the parties, their cooperation could procede the
set-up of a new social-democrat pole as both ApR and PSDR said they were
ready to cooperate with other social-democrat parties. An ApR-PSDR contact
group is to meet once in a week to coordinate their common strategy in
parliament and support their legal initiatives. ApR President Teodor
Melescanu said his party was still part of the Opposition, but it wMuld
support the projects designed to meet the interest of the people. PSDR
leader Sergiu Cunescu said his agreement with the ApR did not affect the
Social Democrat Union (USD) as it was only an enlargement of the social-
democrat pole which, as he put it, was expected to have its voice heard in
the next elections. RADOR
[06] PD believes that, for the time being, the ApR-PSDR agreement does not
affect the USD
The ruling Democrat Party (PD) does not believe that, for the time being,
the ApR-PSDR protocol could not affect its union with Mr Cunescu's party.
PD leader Petre Roman cannot however understand how an opposition party,
like the ApR, and a party in the governing coalition, like PSDR, can be
allies. And more, there is no difference between their doctrines, Mr Roman
said. RADOR
[07] Open letter of Senator Ticu Dumitrescu
Senator Ticu Dumitrescu sent an open letter to the speaker of the Romanian
Senate on Thursday. The letter is signed by 80 senators calling for the
immediate aMoption of the draft law allowing access to former Securitate
files. The senators call on the Permanent Bureau in the Senate to resume
debates over the project by the end of this month. RADOR
[08] Recent developments concerning "Operation Cigarette 2"
During a hearing by the Defence Commission of the Romanian Senate, Interior
Minister Gavril Dejeu has confirmed on Thursday that the cigarette
smuggling scandal was a wider operation extended to more countries. The
minister said however that, as far as he knew, most of those responsible
were under arrest. After the hearing, the members of the Defence Commission
told a press conference that the "Otopeni Affair" unvailed different views
on the matter as both the Opposition and the governing coalition have
repeatedly tried to add political implications to the case. In another
development, the lawyers representing the accused have asked for a delay as
documents and testimonies were still missing from their clients' files. The
Military Court Mn Bucharest was expected to start its procedures on May 21.
RADOR
[09] President Emil Constantinescu met Mrs Karen Fogg
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu met Mrs Karen Fogg at Cotroceni
Palace on Thursday. Mrs Fogg is to leave the country on May 29 at the end
of her mission as head of the European Commission Delegation to Bucharest.
She started her mandate on October 4, 1993, the RRA reported. RADOR
[10] Prime Minister Radu Vasile had talks with Wallonian Minister-President
Robert Collignon
During his meeting with Robert Collignon, the Minister-President of
Wallonian Government on Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile has
mentioned the good relations between Romania and Belgium. He recalled
Romania's efforts to join the European and Euro-Atlantic structures - a
major priority for the Government in Bucharest. In his turn, Mr Collignon
has welcomed the firm commitment of Romania on its way to democracy and
market economy. He said that Belgium and Wallonia were ready to suMport the
consolidation of democratic institutions in the country. The Wallonian
minister-president has reiterated his country's support for Romania's NATO
and EU integration. RADOR
[11] Defence minister supports "Cobra Project"
At a press conference on Thursday, Romanian National Defence Minister
Victor Babiuc said the "Cobra Project" was already accepted by three
governments and the National Defence and Security Council and Romania's
security depended on it. The "Cobra Project" between Bell Helicopters
Textron and IAR Ghimbav was both militarily and commercially justified. The
minister pointed out that its purpose was not Romania's NATO integration
and any speculations on the issue was unjustified. Romanian Industry and
Trade Minister Radu Berceau said last weekend he was against Romania's
purchase of Cobra helicopters as the project had nothing to do with the
country's NATO integration. RADOR
[12] Romanian participation in Lisbon World Exhibition
The last world exhibition of theMcentury, EXPO '98, opened on Thursday in
the Portugese capital of Lisbon. According to the RRA, the event is
expected to welcome over 15 million visitors from around the world. The
four month and a half- exhibition on the "Ocean - Heritage for the Future"
is at the same time an occasion to recall the memory of the great Portugese
discoveries. Participants include 155 countries and international
organisations. Portugese Ambassador to Romania Jose Augusto Siabra said
"the Romanian pavillion presented a small-scale Danube Delta and Dobrudja
region including all their treasures of history, art, culture, civilisation,
flora and fauna". RADOR
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