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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-09-08
September 8, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Government Ordinances Approved by Deputies;
[02] The Government's Legal Priorities;
[03] PNTCD Press Conference;
[04] In Support of Early Elections;
[05] Budget Cut Consequences for Romania's Health Ministry;
[06] SNCFR Trade Unions Against Freezing Wages and Indexations;
[07] The Romanian President Is Attending an International Conference to
Restore the "Silk Route";
[08] Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on a Visit to Romania;
[09] Ministerial Meeting in Bulgaria;
[10] Deputy Ion Ratiu's Reaction to Odessa Authorities' Decision to Ban
Romanian Language Studies.
[01] Government ordinances approved by deputies
At their meeting on Monday, the Romanian deputies have approved the
articles in the Ordinance 70/1997 on fiscal control and Ordinance 14 on
managing the funds resulting from extra-budget revenues financed public
institutions. According to Ordinance 14, such institutions should be
allowed to promote wages similar to the pay-system in autonomous untilities
and commercial companies. The same day, the deputies have also adopted the
ordinance allowing the extra-budget resources in administrating the state
reserves. RADOR
[02] The Government's legal priorities
Romania's Minister for Parliament Affairs Alexandru Sassu has presented the
House of Deputies' Permanent Bureau with a new list of the Cabinet's legal
priorities following the separate reports by Cabinet ministers in
compliance with the governing programme. The new list includes the draft
law amending and completing the Housing Law and the draft law stipulating
that the debts to the Budget should be paid prior to any other obligation.
RADOR
[03] PNTCD press conference
The Press Centre of the Romanian Broadcasting Corporation (SRR) has hosted
the press conference of the ruling Christian Democrat National Peasant
Party (PNTCD) on Monday. In his opening speech, PNTCD leader Ion Diaconescu
has warned about the existing instability background around the world and
its consequences on Romania. The lack of confidence in Romanian investments
and the doubts the foreign investors have expressed recently may be
explained in this way, Mr Diaconescu believes. Referring to the meeting on
Friday between Romania's President Emil Constantinescu and party leaders in
the governing coalition, he said they have all agreed to support the Radu
Vasile Cabinet and approve the adjustments to the Budget. The leader of the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Marko Bela, was
the only one who expressed doubts about the move as he was dissatisfied
with the way the coalition kept its previous promises. The PNTCD believes
that a multicultural university would completely answer the diversity's
needs of a mother tongue education and prevent the danger of segregation,
Mr Diaconescu pointed out. He expressed the hope that only negotiations
between coalition parties could solve the problem and urged the UDMR to
prove its wisdom as its presence in the government could be helpful to both
Romania and Hungarian minority. RADOR
[04] In support of early elections
At a press conference in Drobeta-Turnu Severin on Monday, the vicepresident
of the opposition Party of Social Democracy in Romania PDSR), Mr Adrian
Nastase, said the early elections were now the only solution to Romania's
crisis. There are cities where nearly a half of the population is
unemployed while the reshuffle and restructuring were just words to fool
the people, the PDSR leader said. Mr Nastase believes his party does not
call for early elections in its own interest. In his opinion, the move may
sweep away the existing tensions in the coutry and answer the people's
expectations. RADOR
[05] Budget cut consequences for Romania's Health Ministry
Romanian Health Minister Hajdu Gabor said his ministry had to reduce the so-
called personnel spendings following the recent adjustments to the Budget
while many phisicians had to be pensioned off. The minister pointed out
that only 8,000 new jobs were to be created. The measure comes at a moment
when graduates of more than 16 medicine schools were expected to get a job
this year. Consequently, many of them are forced to delay their plans until
early next year. The minister sounded rather pesimistic though he stopped
however short of anticipating how much the money for medicine was expected
to decrease. He only stressed the reduction would be "serious and trouble-
making" as fewer medicines were to be compensated. RADOR
[06] SNCFR trade unions against freezing wages and indexations
The Romanian Railway (SNCFR) trade unions insist that the protocol they
signed recently with the transport minister (allowing a 26% wage increase
starting from October 1) should be further observed despite Finance
Minister Daniel Daianu's decision to freeze all wages and indexations by
the end of the year, trade union leader Voicu Sala. He added that the SNCFR
trade unions would eventually discuss the issue within the trade union
confederation after October 1. "The Romanian Railway trade unions are not
expected to agree with the finance minister's decision until that date", Mr
Sala warned. RADOR
[07] The Romanian president is attending an international conference to
restore the "Silk Route"
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has arrived in the Azeri capital of
Baku on Monday afternoon to attend an international conference on restoring
the "Silk Route". On Monday evening, the Romanian president met his
Moldovan counterpart Petru Luchinsky and Ukrainian President Leonid
Kuchima. In a statement to RADIO UKRAINE, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris
Tarasiuk said that Mr Constantinescu and Mr Kuchima have agreed to
revigorate the activity of the Romanian-Ukrainian Intergovernment
Commission for economic and trade affairs. They have also discussed
economic issues of mutual interest and the consequences the Russian crisis
might have on the countries' economy. The talks also focused on issues
concerning the cross-border education cooperation and the situation of the
minorities in both Ukraine and Romania. RADOR
[08] Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on a visit to Romania
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has arrived in Bucharest on Monday
evening for an official visit. He said his visit was aimed at exploring the
opportunities to develop trade between the two countries as recent
developments in both Romania and the Republic of Peru were expected to
allow such moves. The president is accompanied by government officials and
Peruvian businessmen. On Tuesday, he is expected to meet his Romanian
counterpart Emil Constantinescu at the Cotroceni Palace. His agenda also
includes meetings with the prime minister and Romanian businessmen. The two
presidents are expected to attend a joint press conference. RADOR
[09] Ministerial meeting in Bulgaria
The interior ministers of Romania, Greece and Bulgaria are attending a
meeting in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia starting from Monday. The three-
day meeting (September 7-9) is expected to coordinante the three countries'
efforts in their attempt to fight cross-border crime. They are to signe a
protocol on fighting the drug and arms traffiking, moneylaundring and other
illegal activities. The ministerial meeting is the second this year after
the talks in the Greek city of Salonic last March. RADOR
[10] Deputy Ion Ratiu's reaction to Odessa authorities' decision to ban
Romanian language studies
The Odessa authorities' decision to ban the Romanian teaching and learning
in mainly Romanian villages on the Ukrainian territory is obviously
breaking the convention already agreed as part of the political basic
Treaty between Romania and Ukraine, PNTCD deputy Ion Ratiu said. The deputy,
who is also vicepresident of the Foreign Affairs Commission in Romania's
House of Deputies, fears that the next step may be the introduction of the
Russian ABC and the teaching and learning in the so- called "Moldovan
language". He insists that the authorities in Bucharest should strongly
denounce the decision and request the international human rights
organisations to start monitoring and find a solution to the problem.
RADOR
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