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President 'wouldn't dare' suggest any inquiry

After yesterday's meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), the President of Romania Traian Basescu made some comments on some DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department) investigations against former and present ministers, claiming he "wouldn't dare" suggest to a prosecutor to open inquiry on someone or not. The President highlighted he didn't interfere in prosecutors' business on the cases reaching Presidency. He mentioned that the cases against Adrian Nastase, Miron Mitrea and Victor Babiuc had already been opened, but they reached Presidency again because of the Constitutional Court's decision last spring.
As for minister Tudor Chiuariu and Paul Pacuraru, President Basescu mentioned: "The documents that reached Cotroceni Palace don't announce the opening of criminal inquiry against them. There have been investigations, but they are not under inquiry, they are not accused. For the two ministers to explain things to prosecutors there is needed the Romanian President's consent on grounds of a report by the commission".
The President commented that, by his attitude at the DNA inquiry, the Justice minister was discrediting himself as much as he was discrediting both the government and Romanian Justice, for he should he proved his innocence in court, not on TV. Traian Basescu said he was stunned at minister Chiuariu's view on the terms with the institutions he was responsible for. The President insisted that, had it belonged to any other minister, Tudor Chiuariu's attitude wouldn't have been as "serious and inappropriate".

Roxana Andronic
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Romanian President agrees with businessman Dinu Patriciu

After yesterday's meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), the President of Romania Traian Basescu announced that he was asking the government to reanalyze the project on the making of a national energy company, included in the government's energy strategy, because such an achievement would diminish competition and disobey some points in Romania's Treaty of Accession. The President argued: "I have demanded the government to reanalyze the idea of uniting energy producing companies, warning that this may diminish competition and interests in retechnologization for the big energy providers such as Mintia, Turceni and Rovinari. I admit I am no adept of such an achievement. I think it is too late for it, as it comes after the privatization of Petrom or of energy distributors. This option needs to be revised." (...)
It is to be noticed that the President's comments follow after businessman Dinu Patriciu expressed the same opinion. A short while ago he argued that to make a large company to engulf any energy company still not privatized would be a bad idea. "Since the market is free, it is energy producers that should be privatized", he commented.

G.M.
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Democrats dismiss Stolojan

Romanian Social-Democrats' bill against the government has intensified political talks within and between the main parties. Last Monday the leaders of the PD (Democrat Party) talked to the PLD (Liberal-Democrat Party) officials. The representatives of the latter party headed by Theodor Stolojan asked for no more and no less than five ministries, in case of a future PD-PLD government.
But the Democrats headed by Emil Boc dismissed this claim, arguing that the PLD was a recently made party unable to attract considerable political capital. PD sources comment: "Theodor Stolojan asked for five ministries for the PLD: Cristian Boureanu to rule the Finance Ministry, Gabriel Sandu to become a minister of transport, Florin Popescu to rule the Ministry of Education and Gheorghe Flutur to take over Romanian agriculture again. Raluca Turcan pursues the Ministry of Culture. But things are complicated with her, since she will soon deliver a baby".
Sources argue: "The PLD is a small party who doesn't even attract 4% of the electorate's preferences. One can't possibly ask for five ministries, since one can't even make it to the Parliament".
Liberals seduced Viorel Hrebenciuc
On the other hand the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) and the PNL (National Liberal Party) want parliamentary and local elections to take place next spring. Liberal Teodor Melescanu has even demanded a moratorium till the MEP election time. Liberal sources claim: "Both the PSD and the PNL have got a considerable number of mayors and the latter would better see to their electoral games for both elections. The idea has seduced the PSD top member Viorel Hrebenciuc". But so far the PSD has been critical of Melescanu's proposal.

Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

S&P: Romania poured gas on fiscal fire

The large public expenses, the deadlock of structural reforms and the possibility of early elections are risks for Romania. According to a research by Standard&Poor's, after joining the EU Romania "poured gas on the fiscal fire". The fiscal evaluation agency mentions in the report on Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia that because of the significant raise of salaries and pensions to start in 2007-2008, the public sector debt, although moderate, will start growing, even if it was at the minimum level in 2006. (...)
S&P analysts estimate that in 2007 and 2008 Romania will manage least to cover for the current account deficit by means of investments. There is outlined that the growth of general governmental expenses is still over the growth of the GDP. (...)

G.M.
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Kafka grabs DNA

Daniel Morar, head of the DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department) has managed to turn Justice into an absurd stage where citizens have no longer got rights, not even the right to learn what crimes they are investigated for.
The DNA has brought a special kind of inquiry in Romanian Justice, a kind that breaks human rights and fundamental liberties, although the Constitution has it that the latter are above any norms in Romania's national legislation. Just as ZIUA has reported on it several times, the DNA opens a criminal inquiry first, then they announce the press and only afterwards do they care to summon the accused to questioning to allow him to defend himself.
The same goes for criminal cases against ministers in powers. The DNA head asks Cotroceni Palace to consent to the opening of investigations against such officials, but without informing the persons at stake about the nature of the evidence. What Daniel Morar said last Monday live on TV was a shock to many experts in law. Paul Pacuraru, Romania's minister of labor, phoned during the talk show to say he would go to the DNA the following day to learn about the bribe case opened against him. But the DNA head put it briefly that he would come in vain, because he would be told nothing before the start of the criminal inquiry. It actually means before the special commission of Romanian Presidency decides on it.
Such a dangerous approach to prosecutors' work is both absurd and abusive. If applied everywhere in Romania, it would mean no decision not to open inquiry, but only to close inquiry or press charges. But official statistics show that each and every year over 70% of criminal complaints registered at national level end up with decisions not to open criminal inquiry. (...)
Given such a habit and given the fact that it is the President of Romania who appoints the head of the DNA, any government can get to be overthrown before you could say Jack Robinson, if the President dislikes something. The DNA can simply ask for consent to investigate against whatever and President Basescu can thus suspend everyone.

Razvan Savaliuc
Ziua Miercuri 26 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english