MINELRES: Romania: Divers Buletin no. 3 (86) / February 2, 2004

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Divers Buletin no. 3 (86) / February 2, 2004
News

RIFT INSIDE ROMANIA�S HUNGARIAN MINORITY 

... AS ROMANIAN PARTIES REJECT SZEKLER AUTONOMY DEMAND

PSD - UDMR: �POSITIVE COOPERATION, YET WITH GAPS�

JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS ASK FOR INVESTIGATION ON Y. RABIN STATUE SCANDAL

�ROMANIA HAS MORAL DUTY TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM�, PM SAYS

BUCHAREST PRESSED ON COLLABORATORS

CENTER OF PROFESSIONAL INCLUSION FOR ROMA PEOPLE


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News

RIFT INSIDE ROMANIA�S HUNGARIAN MINORITY 

TIRGU-MURES - The Hungarian Civic Union (UCM) on 23 January selected
Adel Donath as its candidate for Tirgu-Mures mayor in the June 2004
local elections, RFE/RL reported. The Hungarian Democratic Federation of
Romania (UDMR) earlier designated Attila Kelemen as its candidate for
the post. The UCM meeting was attended by leaders of the Szekler
National Council. The UDMR earlier said that UDMR members running
against designated UDMR candidates will be expelled from the party. 
summary


... AS ROMANIAN PARTIES REJECT SZEKLER AUTONOMY DEMAND

BUCHAREST � Romanian opposition Democratic Party (PD) on 23 January
demanded that the Szekler National Council (CNS) be outlawed for its
intention to present a draft law on the autonomy of the Szekler lands,
RFE/RL reported. Furthermore, ruling Social Democratic Party
parliamentary deputy Antonie Iorgovan said he would resign from
parliament if the council is not outlawed. Finally, the Covasna County
branches of most ethnic Romanian parties on 26 January appealed to
parliament to reject a proposed law on autonomy for the lands inhabited
by the Szeklers. The appeal went on to state that the authorities are
obligated to take "corresponding measures" against the recently formed
organization claiming to represent the Szekler group in the Hungarian
minority. The signatories said they "appreciated" the rejection of the
proposal by the national leadership of the Hungarian Democratic
Federation of Romania (UDMR), and quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister
Laszlo Kovacs as saying the UDMR is "the sole legitimate representative
of the Hungarian minority in Romania". 
Author: (DIVERS)
summary


PSD - UDMR: �POSITIVE COOPERATION, YET WITH GAPS�

BUCHAREST � The ruling Social Democracy party (PSD) and Hungarian
Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR) representatives met on January
26 and agreed that until end-February to spot solutions in erecting the
Liberty Statue from Arad and to found two faculties of Hungarian
language at Babes Bolyai University in Cluj. According to UDMR chairman
Marko Bela the review set out by the representatives of PSD and of the
union pertaining to the cooperation protocol 2003 signed by the two
political companies was positive, except for these problems that have
not been solved so far. Marko Bela pointed out that PSD and UDMR agreed
that at the beginning of February a meeting to take place, with the
participation of premier Adrian Nastase, during which the two political
parties to review and decide upon possible cooperation in 2004.
Author: DIVERS
summary


JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS ASK FOR INVESTIGATION ON Y. RABIN STATUE SCANDAL

BUCHAREST � The Director of the Center for Monitoring and Combating
Anti-Semitism in Romania (MCA), Marko Maximilian Katz, last week handed
over to the attorney Ilie Botos the request to start investigations and
take measures against recent deed of controversial leader Corneliu Vadim
Tudor�s to erect a monument dedicated to the Israeli politician Yitzhak
Rabin. Into the document sent to the attorney it is notified: "On
January 15, 2004 one of the most controversial and unacceptable chapters
of the contemporary political life in Romania took place in Brasov.
Without holding the necessary legal authorizations to erect a monument,
despite Rabin family�s protests and mocking at the position of Israeli
embassy in Romania, Vadim Tudor, Greater Romania (PRM) chairman,
conducted the so-called ceremony of unveiling a sort of bust of Yitzhak
Rabin�. 
Author: DIVERS
summary


�ROMANIA HAS MORAL DUTY TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM�, PM SAYS

STOCKHOLM � Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said on 26 January
that his country has a "moral duty" to fight anti-Semitism, RFE/RL
reported. Addressing the International Forum in the Swedish capital,
Nastase said Romania had a totalitarian regime for nearly half of the
20th century and is therefore duty bound to combat anti-Semitism and
xenophobia in general. He said future generations must be taught about
the inherent danger of actions that lead to the violation of human
rights. "Accepting the legacy of historic truth is the essential
condition for ensuring civic responsibility and respect for human
rights," he said. The Stockholm International Forum began in 2000 with a
conference on the Holocaust and on 26 January held its fourth and final
annual convention, which was dedicated to combating genocide worldwide.
Besides, representatives of Romania�s Jewish community last week
denounced what they said was a rise in anti-Semitism, hidden by the
country�s far right behind a misleading parody of tolerance. �Traces of
extremism persist in Romania, and anti-Semitism with a human face is
even more dangerous now that these characters, notorious xenophobes,
want to pass themselves off as friends,� Osay Lazar, a Jewish community
leader said. Lazar was referring to a seemingly out-of-character act by
Romania�s opposition far-right Romania Mare (PRM) party, to erect a
statue to the slain Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin.
Author: DIVERS
summary


BUCHAREST PRESSED ON COLLABORATORS

BUCHAREST - The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling upon Romania to annul
pardons to two Nazi war criminals, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.
The call to cancel the pardons came last week after center officials met
with the president of Romania's Jewish community. At the meeting, a
statue erected by a political extremist in Brasov, Romania, honoring
slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was discussed. The statue is
widely seen as an election ploy by Corneliu Vadim Tudor, an
ultranationalist who is running for prime minister in elections slated
for later this year.
Author: DIVERS
summary


CENTER OF PROFESSIONAL INCLUSION FOR ROMA PEOPLE

BUCHAREST - Romanian National Staffing Agency (ANOFM) together with Roma
non-governmental organization Community Development Agency "Impreuna�
last week launched the project called "Center of professional inclusion
for Roma people". Being the second initiative of such a kind approached,
after the job bourse organized last year, the Center aims to give
support to Roma minority to be staffed. A number of over 3,000
inhabitants from Bucharest will benefit of this project, members of
local communities in the six districts, local authorities and Roma
experts from sector halls, as well as other social actors involved in
support activities for Roma people. State secretary Cristian Jura,
chairman of the National Council for Fighting Discrimination, pointed
out that in the short run it is tackled the possibility to implement
other five centers of professional inclusion for Roma in areas promoting
services addressed to such category of persons. 
Author: DIVERS
summary



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