Saturday, September 22, 2007

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Zangy Comment Graphics

* Art Gallery * (Part One - Computer Drawings)


Zangy Comment Graphics

*A Kind of Me*

*Amber*

*The Assassin*

*Captain Jack Sparrow*

*Black And White*

*City Pulse*

*Woman*

*Cool Winter*

*Old Man*

*The Fire*

*Eye*

*Fire Flies*

*Hand*

*Foggy Winter*

[NOTE: All those drawings was made on PC, they being a part of my Private Drawings Gallery - mig007]

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Girly glitter comments from www.GirlyTags.com

Doina Cornea: Basescu makes us all feel insecure


In her interview to ZIUA, Doina Cornea comments on the latest political events, emphasizing she fears for Romania's fate, although, due to the government in power, life has become bearable.
As for the latest accusations against the Romanian Justice minister Tudor Chiuariu, she opines that the President of Romania Traian Basescu is involved in it, for the head of state has thus found a way to assault the government. In her opinion, the President is interested only in political dispute, a way he wants to use to overthrow the government. She describes the head of state as follows: "Basescu is a politician who makes us all feel insecure because of his moves. He has even managed to make the Magyars lose solidarity".
She argues that President Basescu enjoys popularity because people are misinformed and also because lots of intellectuals are unaware of how dangerous it is to praise a man "showing dictatorial tendencies, a man who wants no one to oppose him, a man who wants one single party and fake opposition". (...)

I.S.
Ziua Sambata 22 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Basescu and Geoana plot plan



The Social-Democrats' bill against the government is standing small chance to pass in the Parliament, although theoretical calculations are showing the opposite. The difference between the number of votes needed to overthrow the Cabinet in power and the coalition made to achieve it - the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal-Democrat-Party) - is just 12 MPs. There are 5 PSD senators who will be absent because they are sick, there is Ion Iliescu who is against the idea and there are many other more MPs who think the PSD action is risky, which is why the bill is likely to be a failure. The bill is also critical of ministers from the PD, which can be a reason for the Democrats to dismiss it.
The PSD leader Mircea Geoana is aware that failure would mean not only a disadvantage to his image, but also a reason for him to get the sack and lose leadership over the party. He will therefore carry out a plan he plotted together with the President of Romania Traian Basescu, a plan to make him sure he will continue to head the PSD. In exchange to overthrowing the Tariceanu Cabinet and to PSD support for a minority PD government with Vasile Blaga as PM, Traian Basescu will help him settle domestic party problems. The President promised the PSD leader to uncover criminal cases on every potential enemy Mircea Geoana has got in the very PSD.
Secret voting, but in the open
Therefore the PSD leader threatened to expel the disobedient Social-Democrats and he imposed control over the future votes. He broke the law by announcing his intention to ask for voting in the open. According to article 34 in the regulation of both Chambers, "the withdrawal of confidence granted to the government by means of passing a bill against the government is subject to a procedure such as the secret voting by ballots". But the PSD leader is actually imposing censorship in the Parliament, as his party members will have to vote against their own beliefs and principles and implicitly against the citizens who elected them.
Mircea Geoana admits that party leaders are fearful because "the PSD MPs are right now a little nervous because the bill is standing real chances to pass". PSD member Nicolae Vacaroiu, a president of the Romanian Senate, commented briefly: "It is a policy parties take up to have control over the poll results. In my opinion, this is no longer secret voting, its is a vote out of fear. The PSD may go for it too". He added that sanctions against those party members opposing the bill would mean preference for dictatorship.

Roxana Andronic
Ziua Sambata 22 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

The secret not secret


If we take the Social-Democrats' bill against the government as a mere democratic exercise and we don't insist on the political mechanism that made Mircea Geoana open this procedure, we should normally consider the means of voting. According to the regulation of the two Chambers, the fundamental law on the Parliament, the voting that may decide to overthrow the Tariceanu Cabinet must be secret. But it would not be the first time a secret has turned into no secret by organized means. So what is the voting with ballots, in fact ? Is this a legal solution? Or is it a gross break of the regulation ? And is it also a test on disdain for electors ?
Sources from within the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) speak about tensions emerging because of Mircea Geoana's bill against the government, an initiative most of the party leaders have joined unenthusiastically. There is a first split between this staff, dominated by the representatives of local party branches, and the body that will in the end obey the political order coming after the start of the operation meant to dismiss the 2nd Tariceanu government. This body, meaning the reunited groups, is made of PSD parliamentarians only. The split has emerged because when they agreed to Mircea Geoana's initiative the MPs played a minor part. Most of them were simply ignored. And still it is them who will help the bill pass or be dismissed, after all. If all the senators and deputies representing the PSD, the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party) vote for it, there will be enough votes and the government will collapse. But the score will be very tight anyway. At least 5 PSD members are sure to be absent, because they are sick. And such cases are also likely with the PD and the PLD. And we must count those who will disobey the party decision as well. Ion Iliescu may be one of them. He has been against the bill so far, but when the voting time came he refrained.
Therefore the battle will be tight. Given this, I am convinced that, in order to have control on its MPs, the PSD will decide that the secret voting will be no secret: ballots used in the open. And more parties will probably do the same.
But is the ballot voting legal ? This is a common sense question the regulation answers negatively. The secret voting is not a right of the Parliament, but an obligation. Under certain circumstances, the secret voting guarantees citizens that the MPs they elected express themselves freely, under no constraint, that they may use the right to decide and vote in keeping with their own beliefs, with no party leaders forcing them into placing one ballot or the other into the urn. Had citizens' will been different from the one mentioned above, it would have been pointless to allow for secret voting under certain circumstances.
An overt law break that validates itself is a habit only in Romania and in such cases antecedents replace the law. It would not be the first time when, taking the orders from the party staff, the MPs break the Parliament regulation. And it would neither be the first time when the lawman there ignores it instead of annulling all such votes. Such a habit must normally be done away with. I am convinced both civil society and the Constitutional Court should take firm action, as this bill against the government is a good opportunity for it.

Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Sambata 22 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english