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Thursday, October 11, 2007
Traian Basescu and the political prosecutors
Traian Basescu is between the sea and the devil, meaning between 
the political prosecutors he unbound and the 
Superior Council of Magistracy who reached a decision. The Council came up with a real indictment against the National Anti-Corruption Department in general and against those prosecutors collaborating best with Cotroceni Palace in particular. Since he is 'a president-player' making use of his ambition to confiscate the whole power, 
Traian Basescu has got to defend his protegees. Due to these prosecutors of state who serve the President's personal interests instead of serving Justice and national interests Traian Basescu can keep his political adversaries in the cramp and break their spines by election time. On the other hand, as he is a head of state, he must obey the Constitution, meaning state institutions and their independence. And he must also serve citizens and see that their fundamental rights are respected. It is just that the report by the Superior Council of Magistracy, the supreme instance in matters of Justice, shows it as clearly as possible that the prosecutors working for the National Anti-Corruption Department broke procedures and therefore human rights too. But a question such as "What will Basescu do in the end and how will he settle the above-mentioned dilemma ?" is just rhetorical.Traian Basescu made a choice. A short time ago he dared express a too early opinion on the scandal in Chishinau, with a Romanian diplomat accused of visa trafficking. He had actually claimed the diplomat was innocent before there was any inquiry. But the diplomat was presently accused. In this case too the President praised the political prosecutors just a few days before the Superior Council of Magistracy reached verdict. The Romanian President tried not only to influence a decision up to the supreme Justice institution, but also to humiliate the members of the above-mentioned Council. In other words, he managed to defile Justice independence, which is why he is as silent as a fish now, because there is no other way he can explain it.
Justice can't possibly continue as the black sheep among the powers in the Romanian State and it can neither be some politicians' whore. The idea of fight against corruption has been enough compromised by political vendettas. Together with the very insufficient budget, this is why people's distrust in Justice has reached as low as ever in a democratic state. It is no wonder that Romanian and foreign analysts think Justice is running out of credibility reserves. So what is left of a state where this power is knocked out by the very constitutionally elected President ?
Take your hands off Justice, Mr. Basescu ! Out with the political prosecutors at once ! Each of them must be under investigations and we must return to citizens' agenda. Romanian courthouses are crowded with people asking for their rights, mostly in civil trials, thousand times more numerous and some of them more painful than the criminal ones. Prosecutors were turned into state lawyers, some of them against their will, to serve government and Presidency. As for judges, the only magistrates still pleading for fair Justice, they can't work normally because of having no facilities, although it is them who do away with as much as can be done away with from the shame of Justice, trying to deadlock the political prosecutors' abuses, among others.
Now they are working on the 2008 budget. If political parties have got the slightest respect for citizens and the slightest consideration for Justice, supposed to be a truly independent power in state, it is time for these institutions to get the necessary funds. Justice needs to drive away the incompetent ones, just as it needs money and management.
Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Plot against minister Remes
The assemblage of the images showing the Romanian agriculture minister Decebal Traian Remes caught red-handed while taking so-called bribe from ex minister Muresan, broadcast in the News on TVR, the public television channel, shows the offensive comes from Cotroceni Palace.
The effects of the decision to dismember the Cotroceni commission are proving devastating for the Tariceanu Cabinet's credibility. The 'flagrant' leads to the conclusion that the Ordinance on the ministerial responsibility law was released so that President
Basescu would no longer get to ministers.
The recording images
show ex minister Muresan telling denouncer Ciorba: "They have expected... the guy to attack. You know, BASESCU... And they dissolved that commission through which he summons ministers to the COMMISSION ! So he has got no place to summon them to !"
Theoretically speaking, the leak may come from the National Anti-Corruption Department, the Prosecutor's Office, the Bucharest Courthouse or Court of Appeal or even Cotroceni Palace. The Prosecutor's Office claims not unsealing the evidence. Muresan says the courts showed no recording. Therefore the recording could have been produced only by Cotroceni Palace or the National Anti-Corruption Department at the President's request.
The Romanian Justice minister
Tudor Chiuariu wants criminal investigations on the leaking information. The Romanian PM 
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu intends to ask agriculture minister 
Decebal Traian Remes to resign, but he also wants to watch the recording broadcast by TVR.
As for the minister allegedly caught red-handed, he made no comments. On the other hand Avram Muresan didn't admit he had talked about some envelope, but the images recorded show the opposite. (...)
George Tarata
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
The effects of the decision to dismember the Cotroceni commission are proving devastating for the Tariceanu Cabinet's credibility. The 'flagrant' leads to the conclusion that the Ordinance on the ministerial responsibility law was released so that President
Basescu would no longer get to ministers.The recording images
show ex minister Muresan telling denouncer Ciorba: "They have expected... the guy to attack. You know, BASESCU... And they dissolved that commission through which he summons ministers to the COMMISSION ! So he has got no place to summon them to !"Theoretically speaking, the leak may come from the National Anti-Corruption Department, the Prosecutor's Office, the Bucharest Courthouse or Court of Appeal or even Cotroceni Palace. The Prosecutor's Office claims not unsealing the evidence. Muresan says the courts showed no recording. Therefore the recording could have been produced only by Cotroceni Palace or the National Anti-Corruption Department at the President's request.
The Romanian Justice minister
Tudor Chiuariu wants criminal investigations on the leaking information. The Romanian PM 
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu intends to ask agriculture minister 
Decebal Traian Remes to resign, but he also wants to watch the recording broadcast by TVR.As for the minister allegedly caught red-handed, he made no comments. On the other hand Avram Muresan didn't admit he had talked about some envelope, but the images recorded show the opposite. (...)
George Tarata
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Budget to rejoice
The Romanian government passed yesterday the law draft on the 2008 budget, described as a budget for Romania's development. Therefore the government met the October 15 deadline set in the public finance law, according to which the government is now to provide the Parliament with the budget projects by October 15. The MPs are to consent by December 15.
No extra taxes and fees
According to the government, one main target of the budget is to stick to a stimulating fiscal policy. It is to be mentioned that it settles no tax or fee raise and no new taxes, the Romanian PM explained. The income to the general consolidated budget is to reach 174,2 billion RON, which is 39,6% of the gross domestic product. The consolidated budget deficit is estimated to reach 2,7% of the GDP, as in 2007.
According to the figures the Romanian PM
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu presented yesterday, the GDP is to go up to 440 billion RON (138 billion Euro) next year, meaning 7,000 Euro per 1 Romanian. They estimate the economic growth will reach 6,5% and inflation is evaluated to 3,8%. As for the current account deficit, it is 13,3%. (...)
Enough for everybody
The PM argued:
"It is a budget for Romania's development. The main ideas are that it meets the interests of all social categories and the requirements on Romania's development". He also announced the priority fields: education, transportation, infrastructure, research, health, agriculture and pensions. The PM said education would get 6% of the GDP, 27% than this year, research would be granted 0,7% of the GDP and 4% of the GDP was meant for transportation, which is 14% more than in 2007. (...)
Corina Scarlat
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
No extra taxes and fees
According to the government, one main target of the budget is to stick to a stimulating fiscal policy. It is to be mentioned that it settles no tax or fee raise and no new taxes, the Romanian PM explained. The income to the general consolidated budget is to reach 174,2 billion RON, which is 39,6% of the gross domestic product. The consolidated budget deficit is estimated to reach 2,7% of the GDP, as in 2007.
According to the figures the Romanian PM
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu presented yesterday, the GDP is to go up to 440 billion RON (138 billion Euro) next year, meaning 7,000 Euro per 1 Romanian. They estimate the economic growth will reach 6,5% and inflation is evaluated to 3,8%. As for the current account deficit, it is 13,3%. (...)Enough for everybody
The PM argued:
"It is a budget for Romania's development. The main ideas are that it meets the interests of all social categories and the requirements on Romania's development". He also announced the priority fields: education, transportation, infrastructure, research, health, agriculture and pensions. The PM said education would get 6% of the GDP, 27% than this year, research would be granted 0,7% of the GDP and 4% of the GDP was meant for transportation, which is 14% more than in 2007. (...)Corina Scarlat
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
European Commission's last warning for Romania
The European Commission has announced Romania that the EU will apply the safeguard clause and Romanians will lose 443 million Euro, unless the state settles the severe deficiencies in agriculture in one month's time.
As predictable, Romania has got into trouble in Brussels again. A letter by the European Commission reached the Romanian agriculture minister Decebal Traian Remes yesterday, warning the safeguard clause was a threat. If applied, it would mean a 25% cut on the EU subventions for Romanian agriculture, reaching 443 million Euro in 2008. Unless Romania remedies certain severe deficiencies in its fund management and control system, the Commission will meet in late November and decide to apply the safeguard clause, which doesn't go for Bulgaria too, because the officials have concluded everything is working perfectly in the latter country.
The European Commission mentions in the release those persisting flaws in Romania, as noticed by the audit teams who visited the country in June and September: the IT system allowing the outcome of checks to enter the system and the calculation of sums to be paid. There are also mentioned deficiencies persisting in administrative checks and more.
The statement made by the European Commission's spokesman makes it obvious that Brussels officials are now waiting for a miracle to bring very fast action and guarantee for more checks on the spot. One more problem may consist in their intention to continue the audit controls and to check on the system's solvency with help from an international company. EU officials are little or not at all confident in national authorities' ability to achieve it.
In his interview to ZIUA, Michael Mann, a spokesman for the European Commission, explains this is a last warning for Romania. He advises the country to start work at once, hurry up and make the IT system operative. The EU official mentions the first deadline is November 9, when Romanian authorities are to present the updated state of computer systems. The spokesman adds that, in case they decide not to apply the safeguard clause, they will have to proceed to audit controls in the first months of 2008 and he claims that EU officials are neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but just hopeful.
Cristian Unteanu, Brussels
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
As predictable, Romania has got into trouble in Brussels again. A letter by the European Commission reached the Romanian agriculture minister Decebal Traian Remes yesterday, warning the safeguard clause was a threat. If applied, it would mean a 25% cut on the EU subventions for Romanian agriculture, reaching 443 million Euro in 2008. Unless Romania remedies certain severe deficiencies in its fund management and control system, the Commission will meet in late November and decide to apply the safeguard clause, which doesn't go for Bulgaria too, because the officials have concluded everything is working perfectly in the latter country.
The European Commission mentions in the release those persisting flaws in Romania, as noticed by the audit teams who visited the country in June and September: the IT system allowing the outcome of checks to enter the system and the calculation of sums to be paid. There are also mentioned deficiencies persisting in administrative checks and more.
The statement made by the European Commission's spokesman makes it obvious that Brussels officials are now waiting for a miracle to bring very fast action and guarantee for more checks on the spot. One more problem may consist in their intention to continue the audit controls and to check on the system's solvency with help from an international company. EU officials are little or not at all confident in national authorities' ability to achieve it.
In his interview to ZIUA, Michael Mann, a spokesman for the European Commission, explains this is a last warning for Romania. He advises the country to start work at once, hurry up and make the IT system operative. The EU official mentions the first deadline is November 9, when Romanian authorities are to present the updated state of computer systems. The spokesman adds that, in case they decide not to apply the safeguard clause, they will have to proceed to audit controls in the first months of 2008 and he claims that EU officials are neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but just hopeful.
Cristian Unteanu, Brussels
Ziua thursday 11 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
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