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EDITORIAL

Two ballots in two polling stations – Ovidiu Banches – Ziua – read here -
“The fact that, at the President's request, the referendum on the uninominal vote is scheduled to take place the very day the election of MEPs is due is disadvantageous to all those involved in these processes: politicians, administration, ordinary people. This simultaneity of two important issues brings no advantage to anyone. It doesn't even favor the "Basescu & Co.", as the latter's only concern is to get direct democracy replace representative democracy”.

POLITICS

President Basescu attends PSD reunion – Cristian Andrei & Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -
“The President of Romania Traian Basescu did something that stunned the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) yesterday: he attended the party's reunion and launch of candidates to run in the elections on MEPs, although the Presidency spokesman had announced he wouldn't attend because of a busy schedule. A few days before President Basescu had attended the launch of candidates from the PD (Democrat Party). As for the Liberal Democrat Party, he had just promised support for the campaign“.

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Romania supports Nabucco – Anca Hriban – Ziua – read here -
“Yesterday the President of Romania Traian Basescu told Jozias van Aartsen, the European Commission's coordinator for the Nabucco oil pipeline, that Romania was willing to support this project”.

Romania as target – George Damian – Ziua – read here -
“The US President has warned Europe is in urgent needs of a US missile shield to protect its allies, including Bulgaria and Romania, against possible attacks from Iran. In the speech he delivered in the US National Defense University, Bush said by 2015 Teheran was likely to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile able to reach the US and Europe. The US official also mentioned in Washington that such a device could be used for attacks against the US allies within the NATO such as Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and possibly Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The US intends to place elements of the anti-missile shield in Europe for protection against attacks by Iran and North Korea. Russia is dismissing the US project, taking the latter for a threat against its security (...)”.

Ford gives Romania 6 months to limber EU – Florian Bichir – Ziua – read here -
“During the press conference he held yesterday when ending his mandate, Sebastian Vladescu, a state secretary in the Romanian Ministry of Finance, said Ford wanted to start work in Automobile Craiova next spring and therefore the company needed the European Commission's consent by March-April 2008, which Sebastian Vladescu, also a president of the privatization company, described as deadline”.

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* DAILY NEWS *

EDITORIAL

The Constitution, toilet paper for Romania's President – Roxana Iordache – Ziua – read here -
“Had ex President Ion Iliescu done a quarter of what today's President has done, civil society would have been intrigued. But the organizations that used to be very active can't see or hear the aberration coming from Cotroceni Palace these days. They are still at war with the ex President Ion Iliescu, although his break of the Constitution was a piece of cake as compared to President Basescu's breaks”.

POLITICS

Two polls in two different places – Ovidiu Banches – Ziua – read here -
“The election of MEPs and the referendum on the uninominal vote are to take place in the same day, but in different places, which asks for double efforts with view to preparations and, not last, for extra costs, as the government announced yesterday. Those Romanians who will want to vote in the scrutiny for the Parliament of Europe and in the President's referendum too will have to go to two different poll stations in November 25“.

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EuroDNA syndrome – Cristian Unteanu – Ziua – read here -
“The political battle in Romania, targeted at control over the DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department), has therefore got a European pattern. In a 100-page report, MEP Paul Van Buitenen is pointing to the fishy reelection of Franz-Hermann Bruner to head the OLAF, despite the disastrous management on the institution”.

Black Sea can found Europe again – Cristian Unteanu – Ziua – read here -
“... His visit is related to the Bucharest conference by the International European Move, due in November 28-30. The event is to tackle the new European neighborhood policy and synergy in the Black Sea region. Guests from Belorussia, Ukraine, the Moldovan Republic, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbadjan are to attend. In his exclusive interview to ZIUA, Pat Cox develops upon EU matters and the evolution of politics in Bucharest (...)”.

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EDITORIAL

Absurd referendum – Roxana Iordache – Ziua – read here -
“… In fact, the initiator of this dismissed the uninominal vote a year ago. Now he is pleading for it because it is something popular. The PD (Democrat Party) will anyway get support from the clientele groups. Hypocrisy is hidden behind this presidential initiative: the unproportional uninominal vote, promoted to serve the interests of the crowds, uses proportion actually in the favor of the very rich ones, either candidates or sponsors of candidates. City cleaning, public lights, marble, concrete, parks destroyed for the sake of buildings, parking areas, the cheap and good energy of the smart guys in the category of presidential brothers at the seaside, it is them who sponsor the uninominal vote”.

POLITICS

Geoana tries to refresh PSD for election of MEPs – Roxana Andronic – Ziua – read here -
“Various categories of people attended the event: leaders dressed to the nines, workers in overalls or sports clothes, retired Romanians, children and lots of people representing the Roma people. In the very center of the stage the main party leaders were sitting and Ion Iliescu was the only one missing. As for Adrian Nastase, he was there, just like the "suspended" Ion Solcanu. Most of the attendants were waving red flags with the PSD symbols. Very now end then the activists would stand up and cheer. It all smelled like laboring proletariat“.

Democrats asked to give up populism – Ovidiu Banches – Ziua – read here -
“The APD (Pro Democracy Association) is expressing concern about Romanian Democrats' decision to no longer support the uninominal vote system in the version proposed by the APD. The latter association is also asking Romanian Democrats not to compromise the electoral reform for the sake of populism and political propaganda”.

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BOR: CNSAS verdicts are moral assassinations – Cristian Andrei – Ziua – read here -
“The BOR opines the CNSAS verdicts on the clergy who collaborated with the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service in Romania) look like moral assassinations, part of the campaign meant to discredit the Church and diminish its role in society. This is why a committee of historians representing the BOR is going to continue research on the Communist regime, in terms of their own criteria for analysis”.

Interests at stake in November – Ovidiu Banches & Roxana Andronic – Ziua – read here -
“If over 50% of Romanians vote for reform in the presidential version, the system resembling the one used to the election of mayors will prove advantageous for parties like the PD. Pro Democracy Association argues: "As proved in other states that use the majority system with two scrutiny tours, which the President is now promoting, there may emerge situations with parties gaining polls from 30-35% of electors and getting to have 60% of the seats in the Parliament, or parties with 10-12% of polls who don't even reach the Parliament" ”.

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* DAILY NEWS *

EDITORIAL

Give them the uninominal vote, dear Calin ! – Roxana Iordache – Ziua – read here -
“PM Tariceanu is challenging his government with a new test: the idea to take responsibility for the "uninominal vote" law in the version agreed on with the Pro Democracy Association. The context is that, with one single exception, no one wants the government to collapse. And no one wants the uninominal vote, actually, not even the PD (Democrat Party). This would be disastrous for the latter party, because it lacks top personalities, although it has got clientele-linked sponsors. And, above all, no one would admit not being fond of this vote system”.

POLITICS

New game for President and PM – Razvan Gheorghe & Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -
“The President of Romania Traian Basescu announced yesterday that he was going to arrange a referendum on the uninominal vote, although it was also yesterday that the Liberals announced the Tariceanu Cabinet was going to take responsibility for the uninominal vote law in the Parliament. During the reunion of Romanian Democrats' National Coordination Council the President put in bluntly: "I can tell you there will follow referendum". And the Democrats cheered. On the other hand, most parliamentary parties have been criticizing the President's initiative, as they think it is pointless, since the government is going to take responsibility for the law at stake“.

Romanian President launches PD candidates – Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -
“There were almost 6,000 members of the PD (Democrat Party) who got together yesterday for a reunion of the National Coordination Council and for the launch of the PD candidates to run in the election of MEPs in Romania. Apart from the party leaders, there were present the President of Romania Traian Basescu and the EPP leader Wilfried Martens”.

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Cases on Romanian Revolution and coal miners' attacks in 1990 reach ECHR – Bogdan Galca – Ziua – read here -
“Antonie Popescu, a lawyer of the December 21 Association in Romania, addressed the European Court of Human Rights against the Romanian state because of the endless delays in the cases on the 1989 Romanian Revolution and the coal miners' attacks in 1990”.

Coface cuts on Romania's rating – F.B. – Ziua – read here -
“The Coface risk management company cuts on the rating for Romania in terms of company's payment capacity. From the A4 risk class Romania has got down to the A4 minus. The company claims the reason for it is the intensifying depreciation of national currency and the slowing reforms, against the background of political instability”.