Ponta’s Duplicitous Behavior Hurts The Country’s Image – President
Having a country whose prime minister is labeled as a liar is very bad, President Traian Basescu warned Thursday.
Basescu said Ponta is welcomed on official visits abroad out of politeness and his duplicitous behavior is hurting the country. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Anticorruption Prosecutor Replacement Reignites President-Prime Minister Conflict
The replacement of anticorruption prosecutor Lucian Papici from the position of section chief has reignited the conflict between President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
Basescu accused Ponta of interfering with the justice sector and said he will no longer vouch for the prime minister’s actions. The president also said he might denounce the cohabitation pact between himself and the prime minister.
Papici, who worked on a case to indict deputy prime minister Liviu Dragnea, has been replaced by order of the General Prosecution Office. (Adevarul)
Opposition Democrat Liberals Call For Resignation Of Ministers Vosganian And Dragnea
The ruling Social Liberal Union’s only goal is to protect its own mafia, opposition Democratic Liberal Party vice-president Andreea Paul told a news conference Thursday, calling for the resignation of the two ministers the ruling coalition is shielding from justice.
Paul said the coalition is sacrificing the country’s economy and interfering in the judicial process to protect Economy Minister Varujan Voganian and deputy prime minister Liviu Dragnea.
“Protecting their own mafia is more important to them than anything, even than the country’s economy. PDL demands that Varujan Vosganian and Liviu Dragnea resign,” said Paul. (Curentul)
Antitrust Body Requires Additional Info On CFR Marfa Sale
Romania’s antitrust body will require additional information from Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR), which has won the auction to buy a 51% stake in state-owned railway freight carrier Marfa, Competition Council president Bogdan Chiritoiu said.
“We will be very focused on the CFR Marfa takeover. We will send a request for additional information to complete the clearance process as soon as possible. We would like to move things along quickly and make the deadline set in the privatization contract. Under the law, we have five months to make a decision. We have informed the European Commission of this privatization and we’ll discuss next week to see if the operation is to be cleared locally,” Chiritoiu said at the MEDIAFAX Talks about Competition conference, adding he is confident the competition clearance will remain in the hands of Romanian authorities.
GFR, owned by businessman Gruia Stoica, notified the Competition Council last week on its acquisition of CFR Marfa. (Curentul)
Romanian Doctors To Go On Full-Blown Strike In November
Romanian public health care workers will go on full-blown strike in November, which will be preceded by a two-hour warning strike early next month.
SANITAS union federation vice-president Marius Sepi told state news agency Agerpres unionists are collecting signatures to go on strike. The date of the strike will be set at the union’s meeting on October 14.
“Until then, health care professionals will organize a protest rally followed by a march in Bucharest,” said Sepi.
He added health care employees will be on go-slow strike as of October 14. (Curentul)