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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-07-07
July 7, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] According to President Constantinescu, There Is No Connection Between
CSAT Members and Former Securitate Services
[02] Interior Ministry Appointments;
[03] Senate Proceedings;
[04] First Plenum in House of Deputies' Extraordinary Session;
[05] PNTCD Press Conference;
[06] Prime Minister Radu Vasile on Foreign and Economic Policy Issues;
[07] Privatisation Minister Surprised by PD Leader's Remarks;
[08] UDMR Call on a Meeting of Governing Coalition Leaders;
[09] PAR Is Asking UDMR to Clearly Define Its Position Concerning Orthodox
Church Project in Harghita County;
[10] Flood Damages and Reconstruction Measures in Affected Areas;
[11] Waiting for Final Results of 1998 School-Leaving Exams;
[12] Talks Between Romanian and Portuguese Defence Ministers;
[13] Session of the EU for Radio and Television's General Assembly.
[01] According to President Constantinescu, there is no connection between
CSAT members and former Securitate services
At the end of the meeting of Romania's Defence Supreme Council (CSAT),
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu said none of the CSAT members had
connections with the former Securitate services (ed.n. Romania's former
communist secret service). Following reports by Romania's intelligece
services, the alleged relationship between CSAT members and former
Securitate service was clarified. The president said such reports had
politicaL, moral and legal motivation as CSAT's initiative was not meant to
allow exceptions in implementing the law on the access to former Securitate
files when adopted by the two Chambres in Parliament. According to the
existing law, the institutions already preserving such documents are
allowed to keep them until the new law will come into force. RADOR
[02] Interior Ministry appointments
At its meeting on Monday, the CSAT has approved the appointment of brigade
general Virgil Ardeleanu as head of the Interior Ministry's Home Protection
Directorate General and colonel Costin Darna as head of the Crime
Investigation Directorate General with the same ministry. Colonel Radu
Balici was appointed director general of Bucharest Police. In a press
communique, the CSAT has also announced the closedown of Bucharest's UM
0125 as military unit of the Interior Ministry. The setting up of the Home
Protection Directorate General and Crime Investigation Directorate General
as IGP departments (ed.n. IGP - Inspectorate General of Police) was
actually the final stage of a restructuring process aimed at approximating
Romania's insitutions to similar structures in European democratic
countries. RADOR
[03] Senate proceedings
At the their meeting on Monday, the senators have passed the draft laws on
Romania's regional development and funds allowing the Ministry of
Agriculture to provide financial support for farming between 1998 and 2000.
A declaration signed by Ion Iliescu, the leader of the opposition Party of
Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), says the governing coalition of the
Democratic Convention in Romania (CDR), the Social Democrat Union (USD) and
the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) along with the
Romanian Presidency should explicitly assume their responsibility for
Romania's deteriorating economy. The declaration calls on all political
forces and civil communities to cooperate and start dialogue. RADOR
[04] First plenum in House of Deputies' extraordinary session
At the first plenum of their extaordinary session on Monday, the deputies
have adopted the draft law on the setting up of the National Housing
Aggency. The new institution is mainly aimed at attracting and
administrating financial resources for building, sales, consolidation and
extension works in housing industry. The deputies have also adopted on
Monday the draft law on concession regime and the report of the mediation
commission over the draft law supporting the Romanian communities overseas.
RADOR
[05] PNTCD press conference
At a press conference on Mondat, the leader of the ruling Christian
Democrat national Peasant Party (PNTCD), Ion Diaconescu has denied
allegations about two poles of different interests around two leading
members such as Radu Vasile and Victor Ciorbea. They were both invited to
attend the press conference in an attempt to prove that the PNTCD was not
about to break. "There is a single leadership allowing the PNTCD to adopt
decisions that all party members should comply", Mr Diaconescu said. He has
asked all his party leaders to specify when they were making personal
statements or speak on the party's behalf. Former Prime Minister Victor
Ciorbea, the vicepresident of the PNTCD, has expressed his support for the
government and promised to fight for the party's unity based on genuine
PNTCD principles. He said he would comply with the party's guidelines and
denounce any demagogy concerning the country or the party. Prime Minister
Radu Vasile said he was satisfied with such promises and confirmed Mr
Diaconescu's previous statement by rejecting any allegation concerning the
so-called two poles within the party while admitting however the existing
differences between party members. RADOR
[06] Prime Minister Radu Vasile on foreign and economic policy issues
At a PNTCD press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Radu Vasile said
there has been a positive reaction around the world concerning his recent
remarks on Romania's lack of chances to join NATO in the next spring. He
said there were two issues to point out: the reform should be made for the
benefit of the country and not as a condition for Romania's accerssion to
the Euro-Atlantic structures, and secondly, the main efforts by Romanian
officials should be made at home. The non-NATO strategy may include
Romania's participation in the Strategic Partnership or a regional
partnership under condition that Romania's NATO integration remaind a
priority. The Romanian Government believes that NATO should stay open, but
there should not be a deadline for Romania's accession. The prime minister
said the restructuring programme and economic reform continue as planned,
one delay excepted: the law on mortgage loan. Referring to Romania's
negotiations with the IMF, Mr Vasile said chief negotiator Poul Thomsen
told him privately that the IMF position towards Romania was "relaxed" on
condition that "there were still some things Romania had to achieve".
RADOR
[07] Privatisation minister surprised by PD leader's remarks
At the PNTCD press conference on Monday, Privatisationb Minister Sorin
Dimitriu said he was surprised by recent remarks made by the Democratic
Party (PD) and PD leader Petre Roman. The PDs are dissatisfied with the
process of reform in Romania. Mr Dimitriu said that 1997 and 1998 were
"good years for the privatisation" and PD remarks might have been caused by
the "lack of information in the field". The minister has announced that, as
soon as he would return from his visit to the US, he would present the
governing coalition with a report of the current stage in the process of
privatisation. He warned that the privatisation and reform might be under
threat unless the economic restructuring accelerated. RADOR
[08] UDMR call on a meeting of governing coalition leaders
While in Cluj on Monday, UDMR leader Marko Bela said the leaders of
coalition parties should urgently meet to clarify recent differences
following debates in the House of Deputies' education commission over the
amendments to the Education Law. Mr Bela said the meeting was expected next
Monday, though he admitted that he did not speak about it to any of the
party leaders. RADOR
[09] PAR is asking UDMR to clearly define its position concerning othodox
church project in Harghita county
The leader of Romania's Alternative Party (PAR), Varujan Vosganian, said
the Local Council in the county of Harghita was actually offending the
Romanian people when it rejected his party's project to build an Christian-
Orthodox church in the town of Vlahita. The PAR leadership is asking UDMR
to clearly define its position over the issue. RADOR
[10] Flood damages and reconstruction measures in affected areas
Prime Minister Radu Vasile met the prefects of all Romanian counties on
Moday in oprder to discuss measures and funds aimed at preventing further
flood damages and providing funds to help the recovery of affected areas.
Government ministers and prime minister's advisers have also attended the
meeting at Victoria Palace on Monday. The environment minister informed
that flood damages raise to some 1,300 billion lei (50% - farming land, 20%
- infrastructure and 10% water power plants and buildups. Investment funds
were already provided for 27 counties. RADOR
[11] Waiting for final results of 1998 school-leaving exams
National Education Minister Andrei Marga has ordered an extraodinary
session of exams for high-school leavers between August 18-25. Such school-
leavers may include those who failed to pass the previous session as well
as those who had to take a second examination in order to graduate the
twelfth school year. Final results of school-leaving exams were not
published as previously planned. The ministry expects many school-leavers
to make an appeal against the results, though the education minister
believes the session this year has unvailed the real tragedy of the
Romanian education system. RADOR
[12] Talks between Romanian and Portuguese defence ministers
Following a first round of talks, the Romanian and Portuguese defence
ministers have agreed to extend by one year their annual plan of bilateral
cooperation. Victor Babiuc and Jose Veiga Simao said that a peaceful
solution should be found to put an end to the crisis in the Yugoslav
province of Kosovo. The Romanian minister said that such a solution should
include the US presence in the area as the American contribution could be
of great help in case the plan should be observed. Minister Simao pointed
out that peace was the only long term solution to the conflict in Kosovo.
While on a two- day visit to Romania, the Portuguese defence minister has
reiterated his country's support for Romania's NATO integration. RADOR
[13] Session of the EU for Radio and Television's General Assembly
A Romanian delegation led by Romanian Broadcasting Corporation (SRR)'s
president-director general Tudor Catineanu has attended the three-day 49-th
session of the EU for Radio and Television's General Assembly meeting in
the Slovenian resort of Protoroz. Participants included representatives of
tens radio and television public services in Europe. The talks focused on
issues concerning the editorial and managerial independence of radio and
television public services, legal framework and broadcasters' current and
future facilities. Ways of improving media democracy and cooperation were
also subject to debates. Following a proposal by SRR president-director
general Tudor Catineanu, Romania is to host the 1999 regional conference of
South-East European radio and television public services - a proof that
cooperation between broadcasters was one of Romania's major priorities.
RADOR
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