Thousands protest against Romanian government’s planned pardons
Thousands of people took to the streets in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Sunday evening to protest a government proposal designed to pardon thousands of prisoners. Similar rallies were reported in the western towns of Cluj-Napoca and Timişoara, central town of Sibiu and in Iassy, a town in north-eastern Romania. Protesters held banners reading „We want justice, not corruption” and chanted slogans such as „We don’t want amnesty, we want you in jail”. Backed by a coalition led by the left-wing Social Democratic Party (PSD), the newly-appointed government plans to grant pardons to prisoners with jail sentences under five years and decriminalize such offenses as abuse of office. „Romanians are rightly outraged”, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said as he joined protesters in the capital’s famous University Square. „A bunch of politicians who have problems with the law want to change the legislation currently in place while trying to weaken the state of law,” President Iohannis added.
PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, also speaker of Parliaments’ lower house, accused the president of „inciting social disorder and violence” and attempting a „coup d’état”.
Romania chairs UN’s Conference on Disarmament
Along with six other nations, Romania chairs the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. The country’s mandate starts on Monday, January 23rd, and it is expected to end on February 19. The CD meets in an annual session, which is divided in three parts of 10, 7 and 7 weeks, respectively. The first week begins in the penultimate week of the month of January. The CD is presided by its members on a rotating basis. A room in Geneva’s Palais des Nations is now known as the “Romanian Room”, thanks to a donation from the Government of Romania to the United Nations Office in Geneva in 2003. The „Romanian Room” was inaugurated on 27 January 2003 by the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, and Adrian Nastase, Prime Minister of Romania at the time.
Bamboo boss under investigation
More than 40 people were sent to hospital after a fire engulfed a popular nightclub in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Saturday. The fire erupted in the early hours at the upscale Bamboo nightclub, which was burned to the ground. The owner of the club, Italian-born Joshua Castellano, is expected to appear before prosecutors on Monday. Bamboo lawyers and a former shareholder suggested the blaze was set intentionally. However, prosecutors said they found no evidence about an alleged criminal hand. New findings are expected soon.
Meal vouchers and other aid remain blocked
Romania’s government intends to block measures allowing meal, holiday and other gift vouchers for public servants along with social coupons for school students, according to a draft emergency ordinance published by the country’s Finance Ministry on Monday. However, the former acting government of the Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş adopted a similar decision which was expected to become void on March 1. The cabinet of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu intends to block such incentives through 2017 claiming the measure will allow Romania to comply with EU’s budget deficit threshold of 3 percent.
Alexandru Danga
