| May 22, 2001 |
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The Senate adopted the proposal of the Greater Romania Party - PRM - to word an open letter to the Presidents of Moldova and Russian Federation in which the Senate of Romania expresses appreciation for their demarches with a view to freeing Ilie Ilascu at the same time requesting the recipients of the letter a furthering of their efforts for freeing the other three patriots who are still in prison in Transdniestria.
Also on Monday as part of political debates Senator Corneliu Vadim Tudor who is the President of Greater Romania Party took the floor and publicly presented apologies to the Jewish community of Romania following the release of a so called collection of jokes directed against the Jews and which brought about injuries to the honor of the members of the community. The leader of the Greater Romania Party added that the member of his party who is involved in the release of the so called collection was reprimanded.
According to ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION the Senate of Romania voted by 72 votes the appointment of Nicolae Cochinescu to the office of Judge with the Constitutional Court.
Activity of the Chamber of Deputies
The MPs adopted several reports of the mediation commission among which there also is the report on university and post university state taxed education. According to the documents adopted the universities and other state higher education institutes are allowed to have a number of students that pay taxes besides those that attend the classes free of charge. The number of places is decided by each University Senate at the beginning of the academic year and the grades of the students that pay taxes must be higher that those that allow admittance.
Other emergency ordinances adopted by the Chamber are linked to creation of special funds of money which are taken over by the state budget.
The MPs meet again in Plenum session today informs ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION.
Request of the Parliamentary Groups of PRM
Parliamentary groups of PRM asked the Prime Minister of Romania Adrian Nastase to be received in emergency audience today as a result of actions which are considered by the Greater Romania Party as " illegal, anti-constitutional and anti-Romanian " and which are being prepared by local organizations of UDMR - Union of Democratic Magyars of Romania - in several towns and villages of Transylvania. Starting today, PRM party members say, UDMR members start process of transforming names of more than 1000 towns and villages of Transylvania, towns and villages where, according to UDMR, Magyar minority is more than 20 per cent of the total local population. Names of streets are also to be changed and the entire action is, according to PRM, illegal as in all these cases changes should be operated under Parliament authority. According to PRM, UDMR is erroneously and abusively interpreting provisions of the law regarding the share of minority population. Taking all this into account the !
PRM Parliamentary groups are requesting the chairmen of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament to start debates on the emergency procedures for adjourning the application of the law articles part of local administration focused on minority population until after the census next year, informs ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION.
President of PRM Corneliu Vadim Tudor Appologizes to the Jewish Community of Romania
The President of Greater Romania Party Corneliu Vadim Tudor appologizes to the Jewish community of Romania and assures all its members of his esteem and appreciation. The communique of PRM received by ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION and released in our radio programmes voices the regret of Party leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor at the inadmissible tone and content of the jokes published in a collection in the town of Cluj-Napoca. Corneliu Vadim Tudor also writes that local counselor Ion Marinescu who is responsible for the release of the book is being reprimanded by the Leading Committee of PRM.
Former Democratic Party Leader Petre Roman Continues to Be Member of PD
Former President of the Democratic Party Petre Roman said rumors according to which he would resign his position as member of the Democratic Party are false and therefore he would continue to be a member of this party. Mr. Roman stressed in an exclusive for ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION that he would continue his political activity as member of the Democratic Party and he would follow his political beliefs. He added he intended to resign his position as Leader of the Democratic Party group of the Romanian Senate. Mr. Roman confirmed the fact that he intended to meet with members of the Institute for Democratic Studies in order to put in motion a number of programmes.
Democratic Party President Traian Basescu Asks Petre Roman To Further Be Leader of the Democratic Party Group of the Romanian Senate
According to ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION the new President of the Democratic Party Traian Basescu asks Petre Roman, former President of the Democratic Party to continue to be in charge of the Democratic Party Parliamentary Group in the Senate. As the same radio channel reported Mr. Roman had said he would renounce that position. Mr. Basescu met with Democratic Party Senators and MPs to discuss the stand of the Party in connection with the legislative draft bills and laws which are now debated in the Romanian Parliament.
Decisions of the National Permanent Bureau of the Democratic Party
The new structures of the Democratic Party will be elected on 15 June when the National Coordination Council of the Democratic Party is being convened in session. The meeting of the National Permanent Bureau of the Democratic Party was chaired by the new party President Traian Basescu. During the meeting Mr. Basescu said he no longer holds the position of leader of the Bucharest organization of the party this position being now held by Vasile Balaga who is also secretary general of the party, reports ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION.
Secretary General of PNTCD - National Peasant Christian Democratic Party - Asks Former State Property Fund General Manager To Step Down From the Party
Calin Catalin Chirita has asked Radu Sarbu to step down from his position of vice-president of the party and from the position as party member until inquiries regarding activity of former FPS are concluded. Radu Sarbu answered that would not be acceptable as he was not guilty of anything. Radu Sarbu answered questions asked over the phone by ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION adding that he would ask the National Coordination Bureau to take stand with regard to the activity of former FPS - State Property Fund, whose general manager he had been during the former administration, after which he would decide what to do.
Royal Family Gets Involved in Speeding Up Economic Reform In Romania
On Monday King Mihai who is on a three week visit to Romania met with the members of the Council of Foreign Investors and he said among others that, we quote:" The members of the Royal family separately or alongside the Government will do everything that is necessary for the speeding up of the process of economic reform in Romania." According to ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION the King said during the meeting that Romania was for the first time in history at attractive and critical turning point as it had the chance to be part of a united Europe which is no longer divided by different ideologies and had to do everything possible to capitalize on this favorable opportunity.
Former sovereign of Romania is of the opinion that economic progress must be based on altering the legislation of the country, cutting through red-tape, assuming responsibility for what was done wrongly in the past and enhancing the value of what had been done properly.
The representatives of 13 countries and international organizations gathered in the regional conference on the fight against illegal immigration and the smuggling of people adopted a final statement, calling for joint action in order to do away with these phenomena. The interior ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Yugoslavia considered the implication of organized crime in the smuggling of people was most alarming, and agreed on the need to co-operate at regional level and to strengthen the border control, including by means of joint border police teams, set up with the help of the SECI center. The participants suggested the co-ordinator of the work-group within the Stability Pact should analyse all bilateral and multilateral programs in the region, in order to co-ordinate the activities and to identify the aspects to be dealt with. They also considered better economic and employment conditions in the countries producing illegal immigrants would help reduce the smuggling of people. Simultaneously, the adoption of taugher laws against organized crime in the source, transit and target countries would greatly curb such activities.
At a press conference at the end of the proceedings, acting OSCE president Mircea Geoana said the Organization's mission in the region could supply correct information, including on the enforcement of efficient anti-trafficking laws. As far as Romania was concerned, Mr. Geoana added, quoted by the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, the Government was drawing up a draft law regarding the fight against people trafficking.
The FBI director Louis Freeh appreciated Romania was the regional leader of the fight against organized crime, and reiterated the United States' support in the field. Louis Freeh added the efforts made by the authorities in Romania and in the other countries in the region were directed particularly towards the protection of children and women, the main victims of people trafficking. The FBI director welcomed the setting up of the SECI regional center for the fight against cross-border crime, considering it would become an important institution at continental level.
Louis Freeh Was Granted the National Order "Romania's Star"
President Ion Iliescu granted the FBI director Louis Freeh the National Order "Romania's Star", rank of Commander, as a token of appreciation for his contribution to the strengthening of the Romanian-US co-operation in the fight against organized crime, illegal immigration and people trafficking. According to the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, the ceremony was attended by Justice Minister Rodica Stanoiu and Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana.
Meeting between Adrian Nastase and Louis Freeh
FBI director Louis Freeh told Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase the United States supported Bucharest's efforts to prevent and curb people trafficking and illegal immigration, adding special attention should be payed to the protection of women and children, who were most vulnerable. At a joint press conference, Adrian Nastase said, quoted by the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, Romania was in favour of strengthening the cross-border co-operation, and of adopting taugh measures to prevent and punish people trafficking.
Open Letter Addressed to the Russian and Moldovan Presidents
Romania's Senate addressed an open letter to the Russian and Moldovan Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Voronin, respectively, calling for the release from prison of the other members of the so-called "Ilascu group". The ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION adds the Senate also thanked the two heads of States for their contribution to the release of Ilie Ilascu.
Press Conference Held by Romania's Chief Negotiator with the European Union
Romania's chief negotiator with the European Union Vasile Puscas said at a press conference on Monday the Government in Bucharest observed the scheduled negotiations, starting last week the negotiations on "customs union" and "fishery". Vasile Puscas added, quoted by the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, the negotiations on "consummer protection", "free circulation" and "transports" would start on June 11-12.
Romanian Defense Minister on a Visit to Poland
Romanian Defense Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu is heading a military delegation who is paying an official visit to Poland, on the invitation of this country's Defense Minister Bronislaw Komorowski. The talks between the two officials will focus on the bilateral military co-operation, on the restructuring and modernization of the Romanian armed forces, and on the political and military situation in the Balkans. According to the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, Romania is also interested to learn from Poland's experience prior and post its joining NATO.
The National Council of the National Trade Unions Bloc (BNS) decided to keep the social agreement concluded with the Government, on conditions the negotiations with a view to improve it continued. BNS vice-chairman Matei Bratianu said, quoted by the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, the trade unions were interested in the reduction of inflation, on the inforcement of financial discipline, and in a sustained economic growth. The National Council also decided to start negotiations with the governing Party of Social Democracy in order to establish an institutionalized relation, but warned national protests would be staged starting with June 5 in case the Pensions Law was not amended.
The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation recalled on Monday Ioan Petru Culianu's personality, marking thus 10 years since his assassination in Chicago. Outstanding cultural figures took part in the event, called "The Tree of Knowledge".
Round Table on "The History of the Jewish Community in Romania - Past and Present"
The Romanian Association for Freedom and Development organized a debate on "The history of the Jewish community in Romania - past and present". As the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION informed, the topics under debate were the history of the Jews in Romania, their martyrdom during the holocaust, the survival of anti-Semitism after WW II and nowadays, the responsability of the politicians for preventing and fighting against any anti-Semitic and intollerant actions. Israli ambassador in Romania Aavi Milo and rabbi Andrew Baker, the chairman of the Jewish community in the United States also took part in the debates.
Bucharest hosted on Monday the second National Convention of the Romanian Press Club, professional organization gathering over 20 publishing houses and 20,000 journalists. According to the ROMANIAN RADIO BROADCASTING CORPORATION, the participants debated the report, the budget and the projects of the organization till 2003, as well as the modification of the professional code according to the resolutions passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
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