Saturday, January 26, 2008
* NEWS *
EDITORIAL
The poisoned pattern – Sorin Rosca Stanescu – Ziua – read here -
“When state prosecutors commit abuses against some public persons, those who point to such abuses are accused of political involvement in favor of the alleged victims or guilty. In their turn, those who criticize prosecutors blame political pressure for prosecutors' lamentable action. These days President Traian Basescu has been insistently claiming the need for equal treatment for common citizens and high officials. This is why I am analyzing a different kind of example today, but one leading to the same conclusion: among prosecutors there has proliferated a practice such as doing their job superficially, applying the law of force and sacrificing the force of law. The fact that Cristian Cioaca, the husband of missing Elodia, was deprived of freedom is a typical example of the kind, sealed even by the court. And this poisoned pattern is spreading”.POLITICS
Minister Pacuraru summoned to National Anti-Corruption Department – Razvan Gheorghe – Ziua – read here -“The Liberal minister of labor said he would have to go to the DNA next week. He mentioned having seen the report written by the prosecutor, asking for Presidency's consent to the opening of criminal investigations and he commented in the report there was practically "nothing" incriminating him“.
Interim justice minister gets in contact with Commissioner Frattini – George Damian – Ziua – read here -“Romania's interim minister of justice Teodor Melescanu was to meet yesterday with the EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, also a vice president of the European Commission, the BBC reports. The meeting was to take place after the Reunion of the Council of Justice and Domestic Affairs in Slovenia, where officials were to analyze Justice priorities for the EU in 2010-2014”.
Clues about concern in Brussels – George Damian – Ziua – read here -
“The European Commissioner for Multilingualism Leonard Orban said yesterday that the European Commission's report on Justice to be released next week could include some reasons to worry about. But he added there would be mainly facts, not conclusions”.
Officials' fortunes to be supervised – R.I.P. – Ziua – read here -
“Romanian officials' transactions are going to be supervised on the whole EU territory starting with next year, so that there will be more efficient control over corruption, money laundry and fiscal evasion. Romanian governmental officials together with representatives of the Transparency International-Romania are authors of this project, based on a European directive's transposition in Romanian legislation”.
Stolojan: Government is unable to achieve reform – Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -“Theodor Stolojan, a vice president of the PD-L (Democrat-Liberal Party), thinks the Romanian government is no longer able to elaborate programs to fight the effects of the crisis in economy and that the BNR (National Bank of Romania) has got limited means to do this”.
LATEST
Sorin Rosca Stanescu promoted – R.I.P. – Ziua – read here -“There has lately been rumor claiming that Sorin Rosca Stanescu, general manager of ZIUA, is 'leaving'. It is just that he is not leaving, for he has been promoted to a superior position. He is not leaving the press. On the contrary, he will enjoy a superior rank in a media group. It is to be added that Adrian Patrusca is to continue as ZIUA editor-in-chief. Sorin Rosca Stanescu is doing away with the rumor that he is leaving the press. He has been promoted to an important position and he is going to continue as a founder and editorialist of our daily. Upon his proposal, the ZIUA deputy editor Mihai Palsu has become a publisher of ZIUA. It is to be outlined that, to rumor spreaders' displeasure, Sorin Rosca Stanescu has managed a successful transfer without causing disputes among the ZIUA journalists or owners”.
Friday, January 25, 2008
* NEWS *
EDITORIAL
Conference ? No ! Carnival ? Yes ! – Cristian Unteanu – Ziua – read here -
“Press agencies broke two pieces of news almost at the same time: Romania wasn't invited to attend the World Forum in Davos, but it was invited to the Venice Carnival. It's not bad to pay a lot for sending highbrow representatives to Venice so that we would at least be present in the continent's high brow culture”.POLITICS
Norica Nicolai issue up to Constitutional Court – Ovidiu Banches – Ziua – read here -“Yesterday the Romanian government addressed the Constitutional Court against the Romanian President's refusal to appoint Liberal senator Norica Nicolai a minister of justice, claiming such a decision was unconstitutional. According to the press release from the government, the Constitutional Court is asked to admit the existence of a juridical conflict of constitutional nature between the Romanian government and the President of Romania Traian Basescu, emerging because of the latter's refusal to appoint Norica Nicolai a minister of Justice“.
Booing in the Unification Day – Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -“The President and the PM reached the Unification Square at 11:00 a.m. They exchanged a few words in the beginning and then they grew completely indifferent to each other. The crowd there was also divided and recognizable by the color of balloons: orange for the PD-L, yellow for the PNL (National Liberal Party) and red for the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). The local Liberals displayed two huge banners in the square from which the locals could learn that Cuza the ruler had been a liberal. The PD-L tried to impress the public with a banner on which there was written "Unification Gives Power", the party's slogan. And there was even a small group of admirers of the Romanian Conservatives”.
Criminal case against Monica Macovei – Andrei Ghiciusca – Ziua – read here -“According to the Romanian general attorney Laura Codruta Kovesi, prosecutors are working on a criminal case against the ex justice minister Monica Macovei, opened because of a criminal complained authored by Tudor Chiuariu, her successor at the Romanian Ministry of Justice. The general attorney also announced yesterday that the inquiry was now in the preliminary documentation stage preceding the start of criminal investigations. In October 9, 2007, the Ministry of Justice sent a criminal complaint to the Prosecutor's Office, after having run across clues pointing to intellectual fraud, during checks on the contract with the Freedom House organization, author of the audit that had been the grounds of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy adopted in 2005. The contract had been reached while Monica Macovei was Romania's minister of justice. The general attorney commented: "I can neither confirm nor deny if consent to criminal inquiry will be asked for, since this decision is up to the prosecutor in charge of the case only" ”.
Green for cheat – S.A. – Ziua – read here -“President Basescu consented to a law belonging to ex Democrat minister of environment, because of which the state budget lost lots of million Euro. And the President even helped Sulfina Barbu, Romania's ex environment minister, get away with the criminal case against her. The President wouldn't allow for the start of criminal inquiry against the ex minister, although he had been provided with complex evidence of her serious corruption crimes. The President of the Environment Fund Administration was accusing that minister Sulfina Barbu elaborated emergency ordinance 196/ 2005 and law 105/ 2006 in disfavor of the state, but in favor of some "groups of political interests" ”.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
* NEWS *
EDITORIAL
Politics grows rude – Miruna Munteanu – Ziua – read here -
“We live in a kind of outskirts ceaselessly hysterical. In press conferences and debates broadcast live our politicians call each other names with mad voluptuousness. They are unable to argue in polemics, they just swear each other. They seem no longer able to find words tough enough to confuse the adversaries. They accuse each other of uniquely villain things, looking so innocent that it makes our hearts stop beating. Then nothing happens. The accusations aren't confirmed or denied in any court, just as the one who expressed them doesn't pay for it. And the scandal goes on and it intensifies”.POLITICS
Each institution with its law – Anca Hriban, Razvan Gheorghe, Adrian Ilie & Cristian Andrei – Ziua – read here -“Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate want to get involved in the cases against 4 former and present ministers among the 8 state officials the President placed under criminal investigations. These 4 state officials are MPs too. According to the officials of both Chambers, the Parliament is to consent to the opening of criminal inquiry against Paul Pacuraru, Codrut Seres, Miron Mitrea and Adrian Nastase. Daniel Morar, a head of the DNA (National-Anti Corruption Department), claims there is no need for such consent from the Parliament. As always, the difference in opinion is emerging from the interpretations of legislative norms. The DNA official argues that the President's consent is enough and he adds the Constitutional Court's decision is clear“.
PD-L to turn into a people's party – Adrian Ilie – Ziua – read here -“According to Valeriu Stoica, the present PD-L (Democrat Liberal Party) is going to change its name into the People's Party, after the 2008-2009 electoral period is over. There is still unofficial information that the PD-L also intends to create a structure and attract unions, professional associations and intellectuals fond of the right”.
LATEST
175 policemen and guardians for Kosovo – R.I.P. – Ziua – read here -“In the speech he delivered yesterday to the representatives of diplomacy accredited to Bucharest, the President of Romania announced the Supreme Council of National Defense consented that 175 Romanian policemen and guardians should reach Kosovo at a time the EU would decide on. The President didn't mention whose proposal it was or if the decision was reached by the CSAT in a meeting or just by the members' agreement”.
No air traffic during NATO summit – Doru Dragomir – Ziua – read here -“No air traffic is going to be open on Baneasa airport, close to Bucharest, during the NATO summit in April 2008. According to a government decision now in draft, Romanian authorities are going to ban state-owned aircrafts registered in Romania or in a different state, with or without landing on Romanian airports, carrying troops, weapons, munitions, radioactive and other dangerous material, to hover the national territory. The Romanian Ministry of Defense is going to take control over Romania's entire air space and coordinate all flights of both civil and military planes”.
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