MINELRES: Romania: Bulletin DIVERS on Ethnic Minorities - 35 (163)/2005

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Divers Bulletin no. 35 (163) / September 19, 2005

News
ROMANIA NAMES DIRECTOR OF THE HOLOCAUST INSTITUTE
PROGRAM FOR THE ROMA SOCIAL INCLUSION 
UDMR HAS FOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS OF THIS FALL
ROMANIA�S MUSLIMS ELECT NEW COMMUNITY LEADER
SOCCER-ANTI-RACISM BODY WANTS ACTION FROM ROMANIAN FA
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News

ROMANIA NAMES DIRECTOR OF THE HOLOCAUST INSTITUTE

BUCHAREST � General Mihail Ionescu won on September 12, the contest
organized by Ministry of Culture and Cults (MCC) to fill in the position
of director of the National Institute to Study the Archives on the
Holocaust "Elie Wiesel�.
The only candidate registered in the contest organized by MCC, namely
Mihail Ionescu, was evaluated based on a management project and on an
interview. Mihail Ionescu is the director of the Institute for Political
Studies of Devices and Military History of the International Commission
on the Holocaust in Romania. Historian, analyst, theoretician, and also
author of various studies on the Jewish community in Romania.
National Institute on the Holocaust was established in August, to
research and analyze the phenomenon of the Holocaust in Romania.
According to a Government Decision, the institute is lead by a general
manager, who issues decisions in exercising his tasks. 
The main activity object of the Institute is the collection, archiving,
research and publishing of the documents regarding the Holocaust during
the Second World War and the solving of some scientific problems.
Author: DIVERS


PROGRAM FOR THE ROMA SOCIAL INCLUSION 

BUCHAREST � International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD)is to give a grant worth USD350,000 meant to finance the program
on the ethnic Roma social inclusion, informs a government release.
The purpose of accessing this grant is to toughen the institutional
capacity of the National Agency for Ethnic Roma, of the central and
local authorities in order to prepare and implement the program on the
social inclusion of the ethnic Roma.
The money must be used in three years since the date of signing up the
letter of agreement on giving the grant, Minister of Public Finances
Sebastian Vladescu being the one authorized by the Government to sign
this document with IBRD. The commitment of this grant does not involve
financial contributions or conditions set to the Romanian party.
The Romanian authorities are drawing up a program of social inclusion of
the most disadvantaged categories, focused upon the ethnic Roma
population. This program includes actions in the field of education,
health, employment and social dwellings. In order to accomplish and
enforce these action plans, the institutional capacity of the central
and local authorities must be developed and the communication between
the two levels must be improved. 
Author: DIVERS


UDMR HAS FOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS OF THIS FALL

TIRGU MURES � Democratic Union of ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)
enters the fall session with four legislative priorities, announced on
September 10, Gyorgy Frunda, president of the Council of Union
Representatives and of the Union Coordination Council, within the CRU
reunited session.
Frunda said the settled priorities pertain to the enactment of the bill
on the statute of the national minorities, the amendment of the law on
the public local administration, the bill on the budget for 2006 and
that pertaining to the anti-corruption fight. �As for the enactment of
the bill on the statute of the national minorities, this was passed in
two variants. Severe changes were passed in the Juridical Commission and
the bill was passed the way it was proposed in the Commission on Human
Rights.
The bill speaks about the cultural autonomy and based on it, we can
change some basic laws, which make sure they comply with the European
stipulations�, showed senator Frunda.
As for the intention to amend law 215/2001, on the public local
administration, CRU president believes it must enlarge the competence
area of the local and county councils and to diminish the importance of
the prefectures. Moreover, the senator says the decentralized
institutions and the county school inspectorates do no longer depend
upon the Government but upon the local councils. 
As for the anticorruption fight, CRU president said efforts are deployed
in order to designate ethnic Hungarian judges and policemen. He saluted
the fact Ministry of Administration and of the Interior holds separate
positions for the ethnic Hungarian policemen, the positive
discrimination being enforced at the admission at the law faculties.
�As regards the budget law, Transylvania highway should be a priority
and next year, if no money exists, this will be a test to break up UDMR
agreement with the partners in the coalition. President Traian Basescu
must be brought from Bucharest to Tirgu Mures, to see by himself he
cannot come in 10 hours, observing all the traffic rules�, said Frunda.
On is turn, UDMR leader Marko Bela, stressed out he agreed with the
president of the country, during a discussion two days ago, the works at
the highway Brasov � Bors must be continued. �The discussion concerned
the down-payment. The credit contract worth EUR100 mn is signed in one
week, in order to pay the debts to Bechtel�, said Marko Bela. 

Author: DIVERS


ROMANIA�S MUSLIMS ELECT NEW COMMUNITY LEADER

CONSTANTA - The new religious leader of the Muslim community in Romania
is Murat Iusuf, who was elected by 19 of the 25 clerics who had the
right to vote.
Iusuf, 28, was elected last week evening through a secret ballot by the
Synod Council for a five-year term. The elections took place behind
close doors in Constanta.
The new leader was a councilor in the Muslim Community and graduated
from the Theology Faculty in Samsun, Turkey, in 2000. He taught Islamic
religion in high schools in Bucharest and Constanta.
Iusuf will take over his new position next month, after receiving
confirmation from the Culture Ministry. He will also make suggestions
for the four positions of councilors on the juridical, economic,
cultural and technical departments of the Muslim Community in Romania.
Iusuf replaces Bagis Sahinghirai whose term ended this August. There
were four other people besides Iusuf who ran for this position: Resul
Maarem, Osman Negeat, Halil Ismeat and Sahinghirai.
The state secretary from the Religious Affairs department inside the
Culture Ministry, Mihai Agafitie, was an observer at the elections.
The Muslim Community in Romania has about 66,000 members. 
Author: DIVERS


SOCCER-ANTI-RACISM BODY WANTS ACTION FROM ROMANIAN FA

BUCHAREST - Romania's anti-discrimination watchdog wants the national
soccer federation (FRF) to take action against increasing displays of
racism at matches, Reuters reports. 
Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest were given a stadium ban by UEFA
last weel after fans whistled and booed black players in Irish club
Shelbourne's side during a Champions League match.
Steaua, who were also fined 19,500 euros ($24,180), will play Norway's
Valerenga in their UEFA Cup first round, second leg match, 250 km from
Bucharest.
"The image of Romanian soccer is in deep crisis and Steaua pays now for
the FRF's lack of reaction (to racist behaviour) over the past several
years," Csaba Asztalos, president of the country's Anti-Discrimination
Council (CNCD), said.
"The FRF, the Professional League and the clubs failed to take efficient
measures to eradicate the plague of discrimination," he said.
"Local soccer bodies must apply FIFA and UEFA rules against racism,
which are very clear. But nobody has done anything in stopping racism in
Romanian soccer," Asztalos added. "The clubs have their responsibility
on the issue, too."
Rapid Bucharest and Otelul Galati supporters shouted racist remarks
during their first division match, just a day after UEFA had punished
Steaua Bucharest. CNCD has fined clubs and sport officials over racist
incidents in the past year. In April, Craiova city mayor Antonie Solomon
was fined 277 euros after saying black players were responsible for the
club's poor results.
Steaua's stadium announcer was fined for making racist comments during a
derby against Rapid and CNCD also punished the club after fans shouted
abuse. Asztalos said it was primarily the responsibility of the
federation and the clubs to root out racism in Romanian soccer.
He added that observers from the FRF and the professional soccer league
did not inform authorities about racist slogans shouted by supporters
before and during first division matches.
"By this, they showed that they considered such behaviour as normal," he
said. The Romanian federation said incidents of racism at games were not
common and they were acting to end them.
"The FRF condemn and reject any kind of racism and xenophobia in sport,"
spokesman Paul Zaharia said. "On the other hand, these kind of actions
are not a large phenomenon (in Romania soccer). It is about isolated
incidents.
"The FRF Disciplinary Commission acted when it was the case, so CNCD is
not right when saying that the FRF is responsible for these regrettable
events." 
Author: DIVERS

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