Romanian President Signs Referendum Bill Into Law
Romanian President Traian Basescu has promulgated the amended referendum law, the president’s office said in a press release late Saturday.
Under the new law, the required quorum for a referendum to be validated is at 30% of voters instead of the previous 50%.
Basescu said Wednesday he would sign the bill into law on December 14, just before midnight, adding the ruling coalition’s proposed Constitution amendments, which require a national referendum, are “catastrophic”. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Tony Blair Introduces Prospective Client Victor Ponta To Barack Obama- Telegraph
Tony Blair introduced a prospective client, the Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta, to Barack Obama at last week’s memorial service for Nelson Mandela, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Blair, who rarely misses a chance to make new friends or to nurture his already extensive network of contacts, facilitated a three-way conversation between himself, Obama and Victor Ponta, Romania’s prime minister, in the stands of Soweto’s FNB stadium.
The discussion lasted 15 minutes, according to a post on Ponta’s Facebook page, although he said nothing official was discussed.
Blair, who runs the Government Advisory Practice which works with several regimes, has traveled at least twice to Bucharest this year to meet Ponta. (Romania Libera)
Cupru Min Copper Sale Fails On Lack Of Binding Bids
Romanian copper producer Cupru Min Abrud’s sale of copper concentrate to interested companies Trafigura (Singapore) and Yildirim (Turkey) has failed as these did not submit binding bids.
The Economy Ministry, which owns Cupru Min said in a statement Friday it will change procedures to attract a strategic investor for company.
The two companies that passed the pre-qualification process, namely Turkish chrome producer Yildirim Holding Inc., did not submit binding bids for the 331,000 tons of copper concentrate Cupru Min planned to sell.
Cupru Min, Romania’s largest copper producer, planned to sell up to 331,890 tons of copper concentrate at a starting price of $6,900 a ton of copper from the available copper concentrate. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Transport Minister Believes GFR Didn’t Have The Money For CFR Marfa
Romanian Transport Minister Ramona Manescu believes Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) did not have the money it bid to buy 51% in state-owned freight railway carrier CFR Marfa.
Manescu said in a televised interview the government has not yet paid the company back its EUR10 million guarantee required during the privatization process.
“I don’t think they had the money, I really don’t. They probably had promises, agreements with commercial banks, investment banks, but I don’t think they had all the money at the time,” she said.
The privatization of CFR Marfa failed earlier this year because payment was not made until the required deadline. (Adevarul)
Actor Radu Beligan Celebrates 95th Birthday On Stage
Romanian actor Radu Beligan celebrated his 95th birthday Saturday night performing on stage at the Metropolis Theater in Bucharest.
With a career spanning 75 years, Beligan is the oldest Romanian actor to be still performing. (Evenimentul Zilei)