Electoral campaign for PD on public money

Traian Basescu cannot surpass his condition as a PD (Democrat Party) leader. It's not only that it doesn't manage to, albeit he doesn't even try to be the president of all Romanians. He keeps on attacking all the parliamentary parties, except for the Democrat Party. He keeps on expressing publicly as if he weren't the head of the state, but a ship commander stopped over in a market or whorehouses. It is even more serous the fact that he does it in the international relations as well, with the sole counterpart he still has a dialogue, be it a conflictual one, and be it at a distance. It is about the President of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin. What comes out is but mutual profanities. Oh, sweet Romania.
As a matter of fact, it's been two months now since president Basescu has been on holiday. He moved his work office at Neptun, in Ceausescu's villa, after having halted to the villas Ceausescu used to go to, in Covasna and Harghita. Moreover, he asked the Government that a certain protocol villa was not to be privatized, but to be at his disposal. If, against all reason, PM Tariceanu or any other politician from any other political party had expressed such a request, the Cotroceni Palace and the PD would have winced as if lashed. However, the president of the country can afford everything. He is more equal than everybody.
Whenever he doers not want others where he is and what he is doing, no one knows where he is and what he is doing. Whenever it is reported where he is and the press goes there to relate about what he is doing, Basescu appears to be hit in his private life. He especially lets the journalists know so as to offer his usual public representations against the press. But, as the American say, two are needed for doing that. If the press ignored him, the tenant at Cotroceni Palace would give up putting on frills. And he would probably give up the position, as the people forgot him. President Basescu, without a media exposure ? As Moromete would have said, such a thing does not exist.
The Romanian press cannot afford such an embargo. It is a vicious circle. The TV stations broadcast live every presidential sneeze, the written press takes it over and comments upon it, be it highly, or critically, and sometimes they even analyze it. Why has the president sneezed ? If it is about an allergy, he must be taken to the Liberal cat, as it always falls upright. It is what will happen at the next vote of censure, in case it is initiated. Anyway, the Cotroceni Palace and PD are treating the matter as a challenge: ok, let's see, do you have the guts to initiate it ?
It is as if president Basescu had been in such a cool blood after the suspension procedure to resign. It's the head of state himself who has created the precedent of changing one's mind, before PSD. If he hadn't kept his word, why would PSD do so ? Only because PD wants to remove PNL (National Liberal Party) ? Actually, PD does not want to get in power now, as it would break its neck in a year. It prefers early elections. On the other hand, PSD (Social Democrat Party) might want to be in power, and try to reverse the public opinion from the conviction that Government Tariceanu has increased the pensions. However, it can't, as it would only be used and thrown overboard.
President Basescu deals with the idea of the vote of censure with a parti pris and in a sabotaging way. He expresses his skepticism about the implementation of the procedure, invoking the cliché that PSD would collaborate with PNL. He does that in an attempt to make the public opinion forget that PD is the one collaborating with PSD, for instance when the SRI director has to be assigned the former head of the Parliamentary Committee for National Defense as he had dealt with classified files.
Another presidential diversion is the uninominal voting, of which the population has no idea what it means. Almost provoking a collective orgasm in the PD women's organization, president Basescu has threatened he would introduce a referendum simultaneously with the Europarliamentary elections, as if the decision wasn't to get to the Parliament anyway. Basescu actually wants to campaign for PD on public money. That is all.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua Joi 30 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Geoana attacks CNSAS

Mircea Geoana wants that the CNSAS (National Council for Research on the Communist Secret Service Archive) access to the files of the BOR (Romanian Orthodox Church) representatives be restricted, being decided to initiate a legislative project in this respect. The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) leader stated yesterday that he wishes to protect the Orthodox Church against the dirty assaults that have been launched lately, meant to besmear a national symbol. Several CNSAS members have rejected the idea from the very beginning, by considering it an electoral move.
The Social-Democrat leader hurried to defend the high clergy, whose files CNSAS has begun to check up, and wants that this check up be stopped. (...) The PSD chairman criticized the fact that dirty weapons are being used in the campaign for the election of the new Patriarch and he asked for their condemnation. Geoana spoke about political scheme, which high clerks are subject to, and asked the political class to stop the assaults against the Church. Moreover, Mircea Geoana appreciated that the Church defended, during the communist regime, the interests of the Romanian people.
Naive child

Mircea Dinescu amused himself when he heard the proposition of the PSD leader Mircea Geoana, and characterized him as a "naive child, who believes the people love the priests". Dinescu said he perceived the Social-Democrat leader as a gesture for the electoral campaign. He mentioned that other social categories could also ask for their being outlawed and that is why he considers Mircea Geoana's proposition as a discriminatory one. Sources inside CNSAS told us there were signs inside CNSAS that PSD was preparing such a project to increase in polls. They told us that no matter what the Social Democrats would do, the process the College have begun on the checking up of some high clerks cannot be stopped now.
Electoral gesture

Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu expressed his surprise about Mircea Geoana's intervention and he only considers it an electoral gesture. "If this matter caused him pain, he should have thought of it when the CNSAS law was voted. He is not doing a good turn to the Church; on the contrary, he might do a good turn to some people holding some positions within its hierarchy. I'm afraid that it's other people's turn tomorrow, of other social categories, who had signed a pact with the Securitate (former communist secret police), and other party leaders might ask us to outlaw them", said Ticu Dumitrescu. He pointed out that if this approach is carried out, no one knows what the CNSAS role is any longer. However, Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu added that the MPs are sovereign and it is on them to decide on the modification of the law on the functioning of the CNSAS.

Cristian Andrei
Ziua Joi 30 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

APD: President, predictable

Chairman of Pro Democratia Association (APD) Cristian Parvulescu appreciates that the uninominal two-round voting system, preferred by the head of state, is not opposed to that proposed by APD, the announcement Traian Basescu made on Tuesday being a predictable one. "The president's announcement doesn't surprise me. Traian Basescu was predictable. In fact, I don't consider the president's gesture was an unfriendly one, on the contrary, I take it strictly as an invitation for the parliamentary parties to finish the work they have begun", stated Parvulescu, as quoted by Mediafax. He supported his theory invoking the reason why Basescu announced that he would choose the alternative in two rounds for the introduction of the uninominal voting, as it is the easiest to explain to the population. Parvulescu said that the head of state in not in opposition with the principles of the ADP project.

R.I.P.
Ziua Joi 30 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

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Basescu's help

A villa stolen by a buddy of President Traian Basescu's is now the central headquarters of the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party). The house on 148 Vasile Lascar Street in the center of Bucharest was also used by the President when he was campaigning before the referendum meant to get him suspended.
Razvan Toader, the man who made the villa available to the PLD and the head of state, is a character close to Traian Basescu. At the time the latter was a general mayor of Bucharest, Razvan Toader was a general secretary of the City Hall. He was suspected of involvement in some fishy real estate business.
One of the transactions casting suspicion is the villa at stake. Razvan Toader's mother got to own it by means of several faked documents. The lawful owner addressed Justice and he is now trying to get it back.
But Theodor Stolojan's Liberal-Democrats don't seem to worry about the uncertain status of the house now sheltering their central headquarters. Furthermore, the 'presidential party' is getting ready to make Razvan Toader one of its parliamentarians. This is how the ex general secretary in the Bucharest City will be paid in exchange for the insignificant money he gains by renting the villa in the center of Bucharest. (...)

M.G.
Ziua Marti 28 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Iliescu laundered completely

"The record of Ion Iliescu did not exist or it was cleaned", said yesterday Dorin Dobrincu, a head of the National Archives. It is to be reminded that before 1989 the ex President of Romania was a secretary of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, a vice president of the district council in Timis (in 1971-1974) and also a president of the district council in Iasi (1974-1979).
The CNSAS (National Council for Research on the Communist Secret Service Archive) reached a decision favorable to Ion Iliescu, mentioning they had no record on his name from the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service in Romania). Still both the President of Romania Traian Basescu and the Marius Oprea, a president of the Institute for Investigations on Communist Crimes, expressed opinion that there must be a record of Ion Iliescu as member of the Romanian Communist Party. "It is hard for me to think there are no records of the former regime's officials", President Basescu commented, adding that each member of the Communist staff used to have a record, just like "any of us has probably got a record in the company he/she works for".
Marius Oprea explained one year ago that, given the CNSAS law, Ion Iliescu would probably be declared not to have collaborated with the ex Securitate, which was bewildering, since "some ordinary informer must get under public rebuke". According to Marius Oprea, during the Communist regime Ion Iliescu, a first secretary of the Communist Party in Iasi, would give permission to the ex Securitate to recruit informers. Marius Oprea also claimed Ion Iliescu would decide that certain party members, undesirable to the ex Securitate, should be watched or have their homes bugged.

C.A.
Ziua Marti 28 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

The code of honor in Bucharest

According to the Bushido, the code of behaviour and the philosophy of life preparing the samurai for a dignified death, the most important moment of his tragic destiny, the sword must be unsheathed on one single purpose: to kill the adversary. The legends on the samurai stigmatize the attitude of braggers who wave their swords to and fro to announce a fight they never get to fight. The samurai is supposed to utter as few words as possible and, above all, not to threaten his adversary. Such threat is thought to be useless, as long as the samurai's silent and determined presence signifies much more than words can tell. The samurai is the sword itself, they are one and the same being, he expresses the sword and stands for its power. They say that, just as the blade of any samurai sword is something that lives on the blood of killed enemies, but speaks only by killing, the true samurai has got to tell no more than what he tells by his decision to fight.
The opposite of such a code of honor is a totally different philosophy of life and a completely different type of behaviour: the one in use at the Gates of the Orient, where everything, honor included, is mocked. The direct effect of this historical tradition is that no one takes us too seriously, even when words announce that the sword, if there is one and if it is made of steel, could be unsheathed.
Everyone should have been breathless when President Traian Basescu announced ceremonially that this was it, the Moldovan Republic authorities pushed it too far and Romania would give a tough response. The President of Romania said the country was facing a challenge and it would give a response fit for such severe deeds. What did there follow ? God forbid it, no one fancied drums announcing war ! But one expected at least some classical diplomacy action or the Moldovan ambassador to be summoned and demonstratively rebuked in our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since there was the evidence Basescu relied on when mentioning the respective challenge. Or we thought that our experts in security and communication systems would at least show up to prove that the intercepting of those phone calls the Chishinau authorities were mentioning were just a cheap fake. But did anyone say a thing ?
Yes, they did. But it was not our officials who said it, it was still Voronin. He has made use of Romania's lack of response after the presidential snarl given when the President was on a leave by the seaside, Voronin has started aggressive offense. It is just like when he explained to the European Union why he didn't need Basescu's offer to help the Moldovan Republic progress on the European way, since he had other partners. Now he is accusing Romania of making a pact with the devil and he is claiming that, since we are anyway talking about challenges, the Romanian side is guilty of financing the unionist move.
And, tough as they are when it comes to mockery, out fighters are keeping silent, which they take for dignified and honorable. They are pretending to know nothing, allowing an unprecedented wave of insults to flow on Romania. As you can see, this wave is becoming so consistent that it may substitute what the Flower Bridge used to be once. Disdain at the entity called Romania has started prevailing: the Magyar Guard in Budapest claims to be ready for action when the case, Voronin is mocking us... What about our national honor ?

Cristian Unteanu
Ziua Marti 28 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Basescu was informed about the situation in the Romanian Consulate to Chishinau

A few days after the pro-governmental daily "Moldova Suverana" in the Moldovan Republic published fragments from an allegedly official document on the abuses committed in the release of Romanian visas for Moldovans, the ANAT (National Association of Travel Agencies in the Moldovan Republic) has provided new information on the case, claiming they informed Bucharest authorities in June 5 about "the latest situation emerging in the Consulate in the Romanian Embassy".
According to Mediafax Agency, the open letter signed by the ANAT president Nicolae Platon had been sent to the President of Romania Traian Basescu about two months before the visa scandal burst out. A copy of it was supposed to have reached the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and minister Adrian Cioroianu, the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Tourism, the Romanian National Authority for Tourism and state secretary Lucia Nora Morariu, as well as Filip Teodorescu, Romania's ambassador to Chishinau. According to the news, the letter mentioned "the inappropriate behavior of Mr. General Consul Alexandru Rus" and more facts.
The ANAT official claims there was a diplomacy reply by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 25, pointing to the Moldovan officials' restrictive approach to Romanian authorities' intention to open two more Romanian consulates in Cahul and Balti, the Moldovan Republic.
President Voronin's amnesia
As the visa scandal is amplifying, the Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has changed the stenograms of previous talks with the Romanian President Traian Basescu. Voronin stated last January that he agreed to the opening of two more Romanian consulates. But he changed his mind last weekend, claiming the Moldovan Republic had never made such a promise to Romania. He claimed that in his meeting with the Romanian President on January 16 he had just mentioned he would analyze the possibilities. (...)

D.E.
Ziua Luni 27 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

President accused of supporting campaign against ex President

In an open letter written yesterday the ex Romanian President Ion Iliescu protests against "the media lynching campaign" he is under because of his involvement in the coal miners' attacks in June 13-14, 1990. He claims the President of Romania Traian Basescu is supporting this campaign.
In his letter Ion Iliescu denies all the charges against him in the indictment drawn by military prosecutors and he calls them "fanciful charges". He argues: "I am firmly denying the campaign of media lynching, lies and manipulation of reality in which some publications and television stations are involved, together with producers and journalists. But it is more serious that staff from the Military Prosecutor's Office is involved. The campaign is meant to denigrate me in relation to the events in December 1989 and those in June 13-15, 1990".
Roman was "freed" in the University Square
According to Ion Iliescu, President Traian Basescu is behind the present attempt to manipulation, since he pursues "revenge against all those who, by using a legal and constitutional right, voted for his suspension in the Parliament". The honorary president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) mentions that certain people involved in the events at stake are accomplices of military prosecutors and they are after rewriting history and diverting attention from cause to effect, by taking advantage of the political support provided by the head of state.
The ex President argues in the letter that Petre Roman, at that time a PM, is the man who consented to "the measures to free" the University Square suggested by the Interior Ministry. According to the document, the events in June 13-15, 1990 originated in "an agreement between the vice PM Anton Vatasescu at the meeting with the representatives of those occupying the University square", and "PM Petre Roman agreed to the measures proposed by the Interior Ministry on freeing the area in the morning of June 13, 1990".
Ex PM Petre Roman replied that on June 11, 1990 he had approved of a plan of measures to free University Square, but he added he disagreed to the use of war munitions and cannons.
The ex President also opines the indictment is not a juridical document, but a "deeply political" one. He is very critical of the use of the word "repression" in the case. According to Ion Iliescu, the idea is unrealistic, since after the elections held in May 20, won by the Front for National Salvation (due to 66%) and by himself (85%), any violence of the rulers against the opposition "would have led to the compromising of the rulers and the loss of credibility".

R.I.P.
Ziua Luni 27 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

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He expressed opinion too early

Traian Basescu made a spectacular comment a few days ago, threatening there would follow reprisals against the Chishinau government. But less than two years ago the heads of state in Bucharest and Chishinau were kissing each other with their sticky lips, like some family relatives. The cellar in Cotroceni Palace is still full of the wine bottles from Voronin, which crossed the border with no fees paid. They were a gentleman's gift for a gentleman. A short while ago, when launching his strange strategy on the East, Traian Basescu swore Romania would do its best to bring Chishinau to Europe: together with its Communists, Russia lovers, Moscow's Army 14 and, if the case, federalized with Tyraspol. What happened in the meantime ? How come such a spectacular and dramatic turning of a leaf ? What does the visa scandal imply, after all ?
As far as strategy is concerned, Romania made several mistakes. I mean not Romania, but President Traian Basescu, still head of the state. According to his attributions, he is the no. 1 strategist in foreign affairs matters. As for the Moldovan Republic's accession to the European Union, Traian Basescu expressed a straight opinion, but too early. Before Romania became a full right member state, the President had claimed Romania would do its best to help Chishinau join the EU as soon as possible, at the same time with Romania, if possible. Had this been about someone else, a Moscow agent let's say, I would have called it diversion at once, I would have taken it for one more attempt to prevent Romania from accomplishing the EU integration mission. Two years ago, Romania wasn't obviously ready and it still isn't for EU membership. The illusionary unification of the Moldovan Republic with its mother country, an idea part of a bizarre Russian project called 'Moldova vs. Transdniestria', was but diversion meant to disturb the weak political balance in Bucharest. By courting Voronin and establishing ambiguous family relations between Bucharest and Chishinau, Traian Basescu led Romania to a trap, making it face an issue both false and perilous, but still present: Romanian citizenship for the Moldovan Republic inhabitants.
The Moldovans are mainly after the privileged status of EU member. If such a project turns into more than words spoken by Bucharest officials, the ticking bomb would consist in the fact that, by granting the Moldovans with visas, Romania would face unimaginable difficulties in the relations with the EU authorities, effecting from the huge and uncontrolled trafficking in human beings. And there would also follow domestic slides impossible to settle. As seen, it is the Russia lovers and the Communists who dominate the Moldovans. Almost at once, the Russia lovers and the Communists would have become agents of the electoral process in Romania. What a luck that Bucharest leaders, Basescu the first of them, have once again proved inconstant or fond of double language !
The Chishinau visa scandal is part of the undisciplined process of strategy and political approach described above. The visa granting is one thing from a political point of view and something else from a propaganda point of view. We claim to be the brothers of the Romanian Moldovans and we make official statements that we are struggling to facilitate the visa release, but we are actually doing the opposite in order to avoid difficulties in the relations with the EU. Given this, Chishinau authorities may have caught us in the wrong attitude: taking bribe.
Why did Traian Basescu speak instead of the institutions entitled to it, thus expressing opinion on the visa issue too early, before the government's inquiry was over ? Is it just one of the President's usual slips ? Or is this the start of another confrontation between Cotroceni Palace and Victoria Palace ?

Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Sambata 25 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Chishinau discloses evidence

After the Romanian President Traian Basescu had accused Chishinau officials of proceeding to challenges through the secret services, which would not longer be tolerated, "Moldova Suverana", a pro-governmental daily in Chishinau, published yesterday fragments from what seems to be the Moldovan Interior ministry's report on the abuses committed in the release of visas for Romania.
The fragments describe the way travel agencies made use of the special regime for the Romanian visas, as well as the links between Alexandru Rus, Romania's consul to Chishinau, and other people involved in the visa affair. The secret services in the Moldovan Republic recorded several phone calls proving the connections between the consul and the other persons in the network. (...)
Romanian government wants rapid inquiry
The Romanian PM Calin-Popescu Tariceanu asked foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu yesterday to hurry up with the inquiry on the Romanian visa release in Chishinau. He also demanded the Romanian justice minister Tudor Chiuariu to complete the citizenship law.
The PM told the foreign minister: "Please hurry up with this inquiry and tell us the conclusions as soon as possible. If the accusations confirm true, you will have to decide on measures against those who broke the law".
Ala Meleca, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry in the Moldovan Ministry, told the Mediafax that the ministry "had not plotted challenges" in the inquiry on the visa fraud, claiming the criminal cases were grounded on well handled evidence and were in keeping with the legislation in force. She also mentioned the Interior Ministry received no reply to an official letter sent to the Romanian Consulate in Chishinau, asking for collaboration in the investigations concerning fraud on the Romanian visas for Moldovan citizens.
Tarlev talked to Tariceanu
Moldovan PM Vasile Tarlev mentioned in an interview to the BBC: "I don't want to make statements or respond to the statements of the neighbor country's President. (...) But I talked to PM Tariceanu about this Romanian consulate too, about the visa release. The PM told me he demanded the Romanian institutions, the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make the respective investigations and punish the people proved involved in breaks". It is to be noticed that the Moldovan official denied the existence of a diplomacy conflict.

George Damian
Ziua Sambata 25 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

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Crisis or deadlock ?

The basis-group in the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) has undoubtedly got angry because the PNL (National Liberal Party) is boasting about the estimated pension raise. Therefore this PSD group is playing by the President's rules and turning into a threat for the PNL, instead of teasing the President. It is to be noticed that due to his stormy interference the pension issue has got to be perceived as a new episode of the battle between himself and the PM.
Since he is a politician, Mr. Tariceanu has put it bluntly that the PNL won't join the PSD in order to govern together, because the Liberals prefer being in the opposition to such a sickly association. Therefore Mr. Geoana is now waiting for the advantages emerging from the political service he is doing to Mr. Basescu in his anti-Liberal crusade. I beg you to forgive me for noticing that the PNL president's refusal hasn't directed the media comment to the unmasking frenzy that has in the latest months denounced the so-called occult link collaboration between the PNL and the PSD. This discretion is so overt a proof of the propaganda nature of the allegation I am talking about that it isn't worth insisting.
On the other hand, Mr. Geoana's proposal is rather poisoned to Mr. Basescu: the President incited the public opinion hostile to the PSD too roughly against the PM. And now, even if playing the innocent victim of the villainous Parliament in the soap opera, he can't put up with a type of cohabitation that his own temper of an alpha macho is preventing him from accepting. It is hard for me to predict the denouement of this, except for a new political and legislative deadlock. But what if we try a hypothetical reading of the events having 'deadlock' as key word ?
The parliamentary debate on the law drafts on intelligence, counterintelligence and the respective service (PL 324-326) has reached the deadline. No matter the number of sins committed by the Tariceanu government, the latter is the author of the new laws, until recently approached with bizarre discretion, despite (or due to) the fact that they illustrate a Liberal view, in the widest sense of the word, on the place and role of the intelligence services in a modern state. When interrupted rather hazily and so-called impartially because of the recent issue on the National Authority for Phone Call Intercepting, the general silence on an issue that usually enflames public opinion no longer seems bizarre, but perfectly explainable: see the previous paragraph.
As they are in love with the Platica Vidovici & Timofte projects, the MPs representing the PSD and the PRM ("Greater Romania" Party) aren't fond of the present government's projects. What one sees from the Hill of Cotroceni is even more askew, since President Basescu invested his honor for the opposite projects supported by the SRI (Romanian Secret Service) and the SIE (Foreign Intelligence Service). Whether discovered or under cover, the MPs from the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party) have got neither reasons nor means to disobey the presidential imperatives.
Therefore a crisis seizing the government would be just perfect for freezing this debate and no adversary of the government's projects would have to state his/her real wish that the intelligence services should do business in the underground or make investigations like those made in the Ceausescu era. You can certainly remember that the other project, the one the President supported when he hadn't redefined yet his political profile of a great fighter against Communists and against the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service in Romania), let the intelligence service free to do business not related to the budget and make investigations no related to Justice. I can remember it, be it only due to the existence of previous attempts to promote such idea at times when I teamed with ex President Emil Constantinescu. It is just that President Constantinescu kicked the projects and their supporters out.

Zoe Petre
Ziua Vineri 24 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

DON'T FORGET !!! Today is... august 23...

President Basescu fuels Chishinau visa scandal

Journalistic findings uncovered visa trafficking in the Romanian Consulate in Chishinau. A few weeks after they were released, the Interior Ministry in the Moldovan Republic announced one link in the affair was under arrest. Chishinau officials presently informed that in the business there were involved high rank officials employed by the Romanian Consulate in Chishinau. Consul Alexandru Rus was unofficially claimed to be part of it. Bucharest's first response was weak. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs just denied having any official information from Moldovan authorities. But the President of Romania Traian Basescu said Tuesday evening that the whole story was an operation of the Moldovan secret services and he warned that Romania's response would be very tough.
Florin Lencu, a spokesman for Romania's Embassy to Chishinau, told us yesterday that Moldovan authorities produced no evidence on the case so far. Chishinau officials have just claimed having evidence, but without disclosing any.
Basescu's threat
President Basescu said Tuesday evening that this Romanian-Moldovan diplomacy scandal was "the latest aggression plotted against Romania" and he emphasized the response would be "very tough".
When asked about it by a young Moldovan female, the President mentioned first that it was not the Consulate in Chishinau that releases visa for Moldovan citizens, since the visas were released from Bucharest so that a Consulate employee could not facilitate procedures. The President commented: "We know the story about a lady from a travel agency inviting an embassy employee to a restaurant and then with the lady being taken by the Moldovan police. We know the lady's husband addressed the employee too. The whole trick was because of the need to film the Romanian employee with an envelope and make it unclear if he takes it or gives it. They would better give up such challenges. We know it is travel agencies that commit fraud". Visibly irritated at the issue, the President added: "This is the latest aggression plotted against Romania. We will have a very tough response this time. They have gone too far". He didn't forget to mention that the Consulate in Chishinau employed several Moldovan citizens.
Foreign minister promises "substantial attitude"
Adrian Cioroianu, Romania's foreign minister wouldn't comment on it yesterday. He just mentioned the issue was "too serious to be dismissed on the stairway" and he promised "substantial attitude" for early next week. He promised to hold a press conference and tackle the visa scandal.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned the letter received from the Moldovan Interior Ministry demanded some information about certain visas released by the Embassy's Consulate Department in 2007, as well as information on the department's employees. There is mentioned that the document doesn't specify anything about documents or decisions by the staff in the Romanian Embassy to Chishinau.
Chishinau keeps on claiming the same
According to Ala Meleca, a spokeswoman for the Moldovan Interior Ministry, the institution did not "plot challenges" in the inquiry on the visa fraud and the criminal cases rely on "well handled evidence in keeping with the legislation in force". She argued: "The criminal cases against persons involved in breaks of the legislation in the Moldovan Republic are grounded and there is well handled evidence in keeping with the legislation in force".
Valentin Zubic, a deputy interior minister in the Moldovan Republic, stated last Friday that a high official in Romania's Embassy in Chishinau was suspected of having facilitated Romanian visas for Moldovan citizens. The Moldovan Interior Ministry claimed having written an official letter to the Romanian Consulate one day before in order to demand support for inquiry. But the Romanian Embassy in the Moldovan Republic announced having received no official information on the case.

George Damian
Ziua Joi 23 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

PSD is against lustration

Mircea Geoana, president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), announced yesterday that his party was going to support any law respecting democratic rights and European conventions, but not "the incisive laws trying to reopen wounds", such as the lustration law.
According to the PSD leader, the lustration law may turn into a political instrument. He argued: "Given this, I have got a problem: the lustration law is a political weapon and I wouldn't talk about finding the truth as political pretext. If we want to learn the truth and make peace with our past, we must make these issues clear. I will support the initiatives, but I won't agree that someone should play with this kind of instrument as with a political weapon against the party I head or against some political adversaries." He claimed there were such messages coming from "people who should have been under lustration a long time ago" or some who had collaborated with the ex Securitate (Communist Secret Service in Romania) before 1989, still now "boasting about being the apostles of cleanness and morality in Romania".

Anca Hriban
Ziua Joi 23 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Blotting DNA

The ZIUA insight into the activity of the DNA (National Anti-Corruption Department) is now progressing. Although in 2006 the institution was the beneficiary of an impressing budget reaching higher than 20 million Euro, the results of the work done by the prosecutors headed by Daniel Morar were disastrous.
The DNA was supposed to handle 1,004 cases, but the anti-corruption investigators managed to complete only 365. In most of these cases it was decided not to open criminal inquiry or to stop investigations. Only 54 cases reached courts.
The Department to Fight against Crimes Adjacent to Corruption Crimes, headed by prosecutor Doru Tulus, is the most inefficient DNA structure. The prosecutors he coordinates settled 99 cases out of 428 and they opened criminal inquiry in just 18 cases.
The anti-corruption prosecutors' results are extremely poor, although unlike other similar institutions such as the Prosecutor's Office or the Police, in the DNA there are very few vacant jobs, as 98% of them are taken.
Apart from being a inefficient institution that gets lots of million Euro a year, the DNA is also very costly for the state. Like you could read in ZIUA, for a 1-month interception of a phone number's calls Romania pays about 2,200 Euro. (...)

Ziua
Ziua Joi 23 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net