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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-09-11
September 11, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Senate Proceedings;
[02] Decisions at Romania's Cabinet Weekly Meeting;
[03] Proposal Concerning the Setting Up of a Danubian University;
[04] The Hungarian Language Teaching State University Issue as Seen by
Gyorgy Tokay;
[05] Hearing of SRI dDrector Costin Georgesu by the MP Commission
Monitoring the SRI;
[06] New CDR Protocol;
[07] Bucharest City Hall Early Election Date Still Unknown;
[08] Restructuring of the Black Sea Border Units.
[01] Senate proceedings
At its session on Thursday, the Romanian Senate has adopted the law on the
foreigners' status in Romania - a document including regulations concerning
the arrival, stay and departure of foreigners visiting the country. All
senators have supported the project during debates, and the document passed
with a majority of votes. The speakers said the law was completing the
existing laws designed to prevent illegal immigration and its consequences.
With 110 votes for and 4 votes against, the senators have adopted the law.
RADOR
[02] Decisions at Romania's Cabinet weekly meeting
Romania's Government spokesman Rasvan Popescu told a press conference at
Victoria Palace on Thursday that the Cabinet has adopted the emergency
ordinance adjusting the 1998 Budget. The ministers have operated some
changes into the text. Such changes include the 50% financial support of
travel tickets raising at nearly 1,000 billion lei. The VAT excepted
textbooks and other scientific books and magazines are to be nominated in a
separate ordinance. The prime minister was expected to meet representatives
of Romania's publishing system next Wednesday at 11 AM. The Cabinet has
also adopted the ordinance amending the Government Ruling #239/1997
establishing the domestic energy supply prices - a document coming into
force in September this year. The draft law setting up and organising the
National Council of Elderly People (CNPV) was also adopted. According to
the RRA, the CNPV is an autonomous body of public interest defending the
elderly people's rights and liberties. RADOR
[03] Proposal concerning the setting up of a Danubian university
Romania's National Education Minister Andrei Marga insists that the idea of
setting up a Danubian university is not entirely new in the context of the
European system. "The solution is preserving the multicultural profile
while promoting a European principle", minister Andrei Marga said in an
interview. The minister said the project was still to be discussed as the
president of the ruling Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD),
Ion Diaconescu, already indicated that the solution was "unproductive".
Referring to recent claims by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania (UDMR) indicating that the education minister was only "trying to
delay" any solution to answer Romania's Hungarian minority demands,
minister Marga has denied the accusation.. "Our proposal is supporting the
multicultural project as all political forces in the governing coalition
actually agree with it", Andrei Marga concluded. "The solution is meeting
the European experience in the field. I would like to mention that a
similar project was achieved between Germany and Poland. It is a solution
answering the current European strategy, and we believe the project seems
reasonable to all sides involved anyway. The solution involves the setting
up of a so-called Danubian University - a name we may change if needed
although that is not quite the question - a university agreed by both
Romania and Hungary", minister Andrei Marga said in another interview."The
Babes-Bolyai University is a multicultural institution, it belongs to the
Romanian State and it is recognised by all Romanian institutions in full
resposibility. The Danubian University may have a multicultural profile.
The Babes-Bolyai University promotes the Romanian, Hungarian and German
teaching while the Danubian University would also include other languages
of international interest. Anyway, the university we propose should be
approved by parliaments in both Romania and Hungary. It would be a symbolic
gesture", Mr Marga said. RADOR
[04] The Hungarian language teaching state university issue as seen by
Gyorgy Tokay
Gyorgy Tokay, the prime minister's minister-delegate for diversity affairs,
told journalists that "minister Marga's proposal sounds very interesting
but it brings no solution to our troubles right now". He expressed some
restraint as he believed the education minister seemed "absolutely
inconsistent". "On one hand, he was against a Hungarian language teaching
university while on the other hand, it might take years to achieve the
project he was now putting forward, no matter how possible it might be. I
believe his solution is unproductive and it actually delays the major
decision we expect. I believe it is an attempt to elude the governing
programme", Mr Tokay said. PNTCD deputy Virgil Popescu, also commissioner
for education affairs in the House of Deputies, said in an interview that
minister Andrei Marga's proposal of a Danubian University was "very
interesting" but it was "obvious that the Hungarian authorities in field
should examine the project as well". "As far as the Hungarian language is
concerned, we are absolutely against any restrictions. On the other hand,
we denounce as well the ethnic assimilation. We utterly support the
integration of all Romanians, irrespective of the minority they belong, and
the integration cannot be achieved by totally separating the higher
educational institutions", the former education minister concluded. RADOR
[05] Hearing of SRI director Costin Georgesu by the MP commission
monitoring the SRI
After the hearing by the MP commission monitoring the activity of the
Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), SRI director Costin Georgescu has
actually stopped short of providing any details to the press. The report of
the SRI activity in 1997 was submitted to parliament nearly two years ago,
and Mr Georgescu's silence was rather surprising as he was asked to provide
further information mainly on the underground economy. When asked about the
information in the additional report he was now expected to present, Mr
Georgescu replied sharply: "It is all about general matters". Referring to
the underground economy, the SRI director replied: "It is neither higher
nor lower. It's doing well, I may say". He insists however that the report
complies with the international standards in the field. RADOR
[06] New CDR protocol
At its meeting on Thursday, the National Council of the Democratic
Convention in Romania (CDR) has completed 15 articles in the new protocol
of the alliance. Other two articles are to be examined at a meeting next
Thursday. According to the statement made by CDR President Ion Diaconescu,
the articles include the way the alliance is expected to run in the local
elections and the CDR member parties obligation to present their own
candidates for seats in parliament and government. As far as the local
elections are concerned, the right of a party to run on separate lists for
local counsellors is still under debate. Referring to the list of
candidates, the CDR leader said the new protocol was expected to reiterate
the rules already accepted during the election campaign in 1996. The civic
bodies will have the right to express their vote on strategy and programme,
but they are not allowed to propose members in parties outside the CDR as
candidates for public positions. The new protocol is also answering some of
the demands the civic bodies made on the CDR. Under the new protcol, only
the leaders of political parties may run for the CDR presidency following
the vote of two thirds of the members in the CDR Council as link between
parties and civic bodies. RADOR
[07] Bucharest City Hall early election date still unknown
The date of the early elections for the City Hall in Bucharest is still
unknown. The Cabinet has again delayed a decision on the issue, and there
was little chance for early elections this year. Consequently, the early
elections for the Bucharest City Hall may wait a little longer. The
Government claims? The lack of funds. The voting may cost some 15 billions
lei while the Capital's Prefecture says it has only 5. No one can say how
much longer the elections may be delayed, and recent reports sound rather
confusing. The election date may be known only after the adoption of the
1998 Budget. The goverment's position is however ambigous. While at
Victoria Palace on Thursday, Prime Minister Radu Vasile said the 15 billion
lei effort was not a reason to delay the elections. "We are questioning if
the elections are really necessary, according to law, of course", the prime
minister said. The Opposition seems most dissatisfied with the delay as it
believes the early elections may be a test before the next general
elections. On the other hand, it seems the governing coalition does not
think too much about it anymore. "There is little time left until the year
2000 when the general elections are expected to take place", said Valeriu
Stoica, the vicepresident of the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL). And
the ruling Democratic Party (PD) seems to share his position. RADOR
[08] Restructuring of the Black Sea border units
Since Wednesday, the border units around the Black Sea and the Danube Delta
operate under a new structure aimed at increasing their efficiency in
fighting international crime in border areas. The new measures recently
approved by Romania's Interior Ministry are not however supposed to solve
the problems the water borders are facing as the lack of competitive ships
allows the foreign fishing boats to repeatedly violate the Romanian law.
RADOR
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