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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-11-20
November 20, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] "Rule of Law" Motion Rejected;
[02] Debates on Legal Documents;
[03] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[04] Cabinet Meeting;
[05] Ion Iliescu Met Valeriu Tabara;
[06] PD Announcement of Adrian Severin and Adrian Vilau's Exclusions;
[07] Further Hearings in the "Cigarette 2" Trial;
[08] Bucharest Deputy Mayor Elected;
[09] Government Programme of Dialogue with Employers and Trade Unions;
[10] March and Protest Rally in Bucharest;
[11] More Cases of Miners Blocking Themselves Underground;
[12] Further Miner Protests;
[13] Blocking the Routes, Then Blocking the Ports...
[14] Romanian Delegation on a Visit to China.
[01] "Rule of Law" motion rejected
In the absence of the Opposition, the Romanian Senate has declared as
unconstitutional the "Rule of Law" motion. The electronic set showed the
motion was rejected with 77 fors although there were only 66 senators who
represented the governing coalition at the session on Thursday. The
independent senator Costica Churtin and quaestor Constantin Sava, sentor
representing the Party of Social democracy in Romania (PDSR) have mentioned
the fact in their speeches, but Ulm Spineanu, the deputy speaker of the
Senate, ignored their complaints and ordered the opening of the session. He
claimed that, at the session on Wednesday, the Opposition said it was not
supposed to attend any other session in the Senate. RADOR
[02] Debates on legal documents
At the session on Thursday, the senators have adopted the draft law
approving the restructuring plan of the national territory, the 3-rd
section on "Protected Areas". According to the document, there will be an
increase in the number of national parks in hill and mountain areas while
the national parks in plain areas will decrease following the
implementation of the Land Law. RADOR
[03] House of Deputies proceedings
At their meeting on Thursday, the Romanian deputies have passed articles in
Ordinance 96/1998 on forestry regime and administration of national forest
funds. The ordinance requests the forest owners to take good care of their
properties and explains how to run acvities in administrationg public and
private forests. The ordinance stipulates the setting up of monitoring
structures allowing the state to control the owners are complying with the
laws protecting the forest. RADOR
[04] Cabinet meeting
At their meeting on Thursday, the Cabinet ministers have rejected the
increase in oil products prices. The government however approved an
emergency ordinance allowing facilities for the pay of remaining debts when
negotiations concerning the share sale contract of the SC "Tractorul" in
Brasov would open. Under the ordinance, 80% of the nearly 114 million
dollar debt turn into shares while the remaining 20% are readjusted for the
next six years. The facilities concern with the remaining debt to the
Budget and the welfare funds of SC "Tractorul". RADOR
[05] Ion Iliescu met Valeriu Tabara
At his party's headquarters on Thursday, PDSR president Ion Iliescu met his
counterpart in the Romanians' National Unity Party (PUNR) Valeriu Tabara. A
communique of the Press Office of the PDSR says the two leaders discussed
issues concerning recent developments in the Senate and the House of
Deputies, the rejection of the "Rule of Law" motion, the irregularities in
appointing the Administration Council of Romania's National Bank (BNR), and
the inconceivable defeat before the claims of the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) about amendments to the Education Law.
According to the communique, all these facts proved the Power broke up the
principles allowing the democratic development of the Romanian state. Ion
Iliescu and Valeriu Tabara believe their opposition parties should
intensify co-operation and seek most efficient actions to force the
government and the majority in parliament to comply with the legal and
constitutional rules. The two leaders have express their concern about
President Constantinescu and Prime Minister Radu Vasile's negligence in
addressing the dramatic situation the country was now facing, the
communique concluded. RADOR
[06] PD announcement of Adrian Severin and Adrian Vilau's exclusions
The former vicepresident of the Democratic Party (PD), Adrian Severin, may
be excluded from the party on Saturday, when the PD's National Coordination
Council is expected to meet. The national secretary of the party, Victor
Bostinaru, said the leaders of the PD branches in the country have all
supported on Wednesday the exclusions of senator Adrian Severin and deputy
Adrian Vilau. The 400 PD delegates to the meeting on Saturday are expected
to vote for the exclusion proposals made by the PD branches in Bucharest
and Timisoara. The two PD leaders are accused of breaking the party's
statute by making public statements without any previous consultation with
the party leadership. RADOR
[07] Further hearings in the "Cigarette 2" trial
The Military Court in Bucharest has continued on Thursday the hearing of
witnesses involved in the "Cigarette 2" case. The former mistress of Jamal
al-Atm, Mariana Focaru, was the most important witness of the day. Before
the court, she said Jamal al-Atm was involved in another two cigarette air
transports in 1996, between November 4 and 26. Another cigarette transport
was reported in the port of Constantza in December same year. Mrs Focaru
said it was Jamal who co-ordinanted every cigarette transport from the
airport. The court heared the same day the security chief of the Palace in
Scrovistea, Ion Vaduva, who said that Gheorghe Trutulescu was allowed
access to the palace anytime and in any circumstances. RADOR
[08] Bucharest deputy mayor elected
With 40 votes for, 21 against and 1 abstention, the General Council of the
City of Bucharest has elected on Thursday Dumitru Ionescu, city councillor
representing the Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD), as
deputy mayor general of Romania's capital. His main responsibilities will
include the city's hitting, lighting and sanitation. The deputy mayor is
expected to raise the sanitation duty by 30% and cut the disinfection duty
early next year. RADOR
[09] Government programme of dialogue with employers and trade unions
Prime Minister Radu Vasile has asked the Economic and Social Council to
examine and then table proposals of measures designed to improve the
country's economy and welfare. Expressing interest in co-operating with its
social partners, the government is expected to open a dialogue with both
employers and trade unions. The prime minister would like to discuss a
possible moratorium on the matter for a period of time mutually agreed. The
talks with the trade unions are expected to start on November 26. RADOR
[10] March and protest rally in Bucharest
In Bucharest, trade unionists of most county branches have gathered in the
Revolution Plaza on Thursday to attend a protest rally organised by the
Federative Union of Metal Trade Unions. According to trade union leader
Vasile Cristea, the rally was supposed to warn the government about the
crisis in the field and call for efficient measures to help the economic
recovery. The trade unionists called for a strategy to restore the industry,
new investments for competitive economic agents, concrete fiscal policies
and protection of Romania's farming machine tools industry. The trade
unionists then left the Revolution Plaza and marched to express their
protest before the Government Building. RADOR
[11] More cases of miners blocking themselves underground
The cases of miners blocking themself underground have extended on Thursday
to other mining units of Deva's Copper Autonomous Utility (RAC) after
miners working with the Musariu 1 and 2 Sectors blocked themselves
undergound on Wednesday. At the end of their shift, other 45 miners of the
Deva Mine have refused to leave the mine. Since Thursday morning, they keep
claiming for their pay rights. The RAC leadership in Deva is stepping up
efforts to get the money from the Industry and Trade Ministry, the
Government and the State Ownership Fund (FPS). RADOR
[12] Further miner protests
The Co-ordination Council of "Oltenia Ore" Trade Union Federation in Targu
Jiu has decided on Thursday to open its conflict with the Lignite National
Company of Oltenia. The leader of the federation, engineer Nicolae Gegau,
said the miners' would like the coal production to ensure the remaining
jobs in the mining units of the Lignite National Company in Targu Jiu,
Oltenia. RADOR
[13] Blocking the routes, then blocking the ports...
Workers at the NAVCOM in the port of Constantza have been picketing the
company's headquarters on Thursday claiming the pay of the dailly fee for
crew on the "Opal" ship who was arrested in Kuweit a year ago, and the
"Litoral 1" ship anchored in the port of Constantza. The protesters are
also claiming their October pay rights and measures to restore the company.
NAVCOM trade union deputy leader said the trade unionists would get two
ships and block all activity in the port unless their demands were
answered. RADOR
[14] Romanian delegation on a visit to China
A Romanian delegation led by Industry and Trade Minister Radu Berceanu is
attending the meeting of the Romanian-Chinese economic and commercial co-
operation Commission in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Romanian
businessmen had the opportunity to establish direct contacts with their
Chinese counterparts. Following talks on Thursday, a series of agreements
were signed to ensure the economic co-operation between the two countries
as well as their co-operation on third markets. RADOR
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