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

The pension law, a reason for bill against government

The bill against the government the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) has announced is obviously absurd, since there are neither objective nor subjective reasons for it. The motivations announced are groundless. The PSD voted for a Tariceanu government without PD (Democrat Party) representatives, but a few months later the Social-Democrats have found themselves wishing to sack this government in favor of the PD. They announced the main reason for discontent was the "disastrous" activity of PD ministers and of ex Liberal Gheorghe Flutur, just as the PSD vice presidents admitted in TV talk shows. Reasonable demonstration isn't it ? And a tough decision, isn't it ?
The reason invoked by the PSD president Mircea Geoana is no better. His expressed will to become a PM is ridiculous and unrealistic. President Basescu didn't appoint him in December 2004, when the PSD had just won elections, due to gaining a few percentages more than the Liberal-Democrat alliance. So how can he possibly appoint Geoana a PM now, when the PSD score is almost a half of what it was, the PD score is almost five times higher, although it was just 6% ? The PD had the same 6% when the PNL (National Liberal Party) did away with the Democrats.
The issue at stake is actually different. It is something that both the PSD and the President are concerned about. It is the unstated reason why the PSD has announced intention to come up with bill against the government, even if the government the Social-Democrats voted for took some necessary measures, some voted by the PSD too and one that the MPs passed unanimously. The PSD has announced the bill right after the opinion polls, including those ordered by groups or institutes hostile to the Liberals, showed growing trust in PM Tariceanu and the PNL. This can be perceived without such opinion polls too, the pension raise has given way to real impression and not only among the retired Romanians. It has also improved people's respect for the Liberal government, the first one brave and decent enough to open the process of settling great injustice. Both the PSD and the PD are to be blamed for such injustice, because while together in the FSN (Front for National Salvation) they settled the unjust pension system. This is the undeniable truth.
It is also true that there is a law on the pension raise, voted unanimously, due to the PNL initiative. The fact that PM Tariceanu and the PNL author this popular law - but not populist, such as the PSD's impossible and dismissed version was - disturbs both Geoana and Basescu. The 20% the President has lost in terms of trust effects to a great extent from the opposition to the pension raise. Although more retired Romanians voted for him to get them a good life, as he had promised to in the opening speech delivered in December 21, 2994, when appointed a President and after having been validated by the Parliament. Here are his words: "We can't possibly hide poverty in statistics. Too many retired Romanians have got pensions smaller than the heat bill in winter. Too many peasants live in poverty, no matter how rich their crops are. Too many young Romanians have got to think Romania is no longer a country where they stand a chance. This state of things must be changed". And then he denied it, since it was the PNL, but not the PD or the PSD, who raised pensions.
The truth makes the PSD angry, although the Social-Democrats ruling for four years had enough time to produce a compensatory law, but they didn't. It makes the PD angry too. A Democrat headed the Ministry of Labor two years and a half, but he didn't do it, as he preferred the PSD style, and just with a slightly bigger spoon. These are facts. The other measures the PNL has been working on are facts too and they can prove that this bill against the government isn't because of failures, but because of results. It is just bluff meant to keep the PSD in the center of public attention for a while.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua Miercuri 22 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Bancpost and Romanian Lottery are fond of each other

-- Behind the romance between Liliana Ghervasuc and Mihai Bogza there is hidden great business that may jeopardize the money of Lottery players.
The ex secretary of the Balli group which the Conservative Party assigned to head the Romanian Lottery is planning to give the Lottery's millions to her lover to handle, although the man is suspected of having caused the International Bank of Religions go bankrupt. Between two hugs, Liliana Ghervasuc, president of the Romanian Lottery, and the president of the Bancpost Bank talk about transferring the state institution's bank accounts to Mihai Bogza's bank. 70% of the money cashed by the Lottery reach bank accounts and the remaining 30% cover for jackpots, wages and the other expenses.
Liliana Ghervasuc seems to be taking the way of her predecessor Nicolae Cristea, who made George Copos a rich man with the many from Lottery players. The business got to the National Anti-Corruption Department.
Now the Romanian Lottery wants to purchase more commercial room, in spite of having bought 38 such offices from George Copos recently, by buying more Bancpost actives.
After getting to head the Lottery, the ex secretary in Conservative Dan Voiculescu's companies got herself a salary of 4,000 Euro a month and she also hired 40 friends and ex colleagues from the Conservative Party. Furthermore, she sent them abroad, to the remotest destinations in the world, for studies at the state's expense. (...)

Mihnea Talau & George Tarata
Ziua Miercuri 22 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

President Basescu is back to school

The President of Romania Traian Basescu is studying again to pass the exam and validate his ship commander's license. Yesterday he started to attend the intensive courses held at the Romanian Center for Navy Staff Training in Constanta and the final test to reconfirm him as ship commander or not is due on Friday.
The President claimed it was nice to be back to school and mentioned that yesterday he got accustomed to the cannon simulator. "It makes me feel comfortable and the truth is that I have got the right to a valid license", he commented and produced the check showing he paid for the courses. He added the only problem was his attendance, but he expressed hope the lecturers would prove understanding and allow him a flexible schedule. (...)

M.T.
Ziua Marti 21 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Election of MEPs likely to be held in November 25

The election of MEPs in Romania is likely to be held in November 25, the date mentioned by most parliamentary parties. After yesterday's consultations with the party heads in Victoria Palace, the Romanian PM Calin-Popescu Tariceanu mentioned the government was going to announce the decision in one week's time the latest.
The Democrats didn't attend the meeting with the PM, just as the Social Democrats' leader Mircea Geoana, who had claimed a few days before that he wanted to become a PM.
Norica Nicolai, a vice president of the Romanian Liberals, said the party wanted the scrutiny to take place sometime between late November and December 9. She described November 25 as "reasonable". The other parties agreed it was a good choice. (...)

Ovidiu Banches & A.I.
Ziua Marti 21 Augist 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

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