Thursday, December 17th

Timişoara… 26 years ago

On December 16, 1989 a protest broke out on the part of the Hungarian minority in the Romanian western town of Timișoara in response to an attempt by the Communist government to evict Hungarian-born Reformed Pastor László Tőkés. In July that year, Tőkés strongly criticised the regime’s so-called „systematisation policy” to a Hungarian TV channel. Riots and protests resumed the following day, on December 17. Protesters broke into the Communist Party’s District Committee building and threw party documents, Ceaușescu’s writings and other symbols of Communist power out of the windows. The military were sent in to control the riots because the situation was too hard for the Securitate and conventional police to handle while Timişoara protesters were seen as traitors. The protests calmed down eventually after midnight.  Ion Coman (a secretary of the PCR Central Committee and former Defence Minister), Ilie Matei (first secretary of the PCR branch in Timiş county) and Ștefan Gușă (head of the army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff) inspected a city looking like the aftermath of a war. A day of mourning was declared in Timişoara today in memory of those who died during the Romanian Revolution.

Protest of Romanian transporters

A rally of Romanian transporters was reported in front of the goverment headquarters at Victoria Palace in the capital Bucharest on Thursday. Transporters are angry with the government’s decision to increase the mandatory car insurance (RCA – Civil Auto Liability). Some six trade unions attended the protests. „We fight for affortable prices as transporters are expected to pay an insurance higher by 300 percent compared to other Romanians expected to pay a RCA higher by 100 percent”, trade union leader Vasile Ştefănescu told Radio Romania. „And last but not least, we call for changes to the current Law#8/1996 on copyright rules. We joined the EU, and we assumed our obligations. However, we also expect some rights”, Mr. Ştefănescu added.

Romanian first prosecutor detained

A first prosecutor at the Prosecutor’s Office with a court in Beiuş, a town in northern Romanian county of Bihor, was detained for his alleged involvement in a corruption-related crime on Thursday. The Romanian authorities issued a 24-hour arrest warrant against Gligor Ioan Sabău. Mr. Sabău is charged of bribery, blackmail, fake statements and instigation to abuse of office, according to a statement issued by Romania’s anticorruption watchdog, the DNA. Sabău allegedly blackmailed people in exchange of money, goods, and services offered by a village mayor and office chiefs at the Beiuş City Hall. An appeal court in the Romanian northern town of Oradea could issue an arrest warant for 30 days.

Friend of Romania’s Jewish Community – a medal awarded by Romanian Jews

Romanian Radio’s President Director General Ovidiu Miculescu was awarded the honour medal of Friend of Romania’s Jewish Community along with other SRR journalists including Angela Cerven and Remus Rădulescu for their continuing promotion and support of the Jewish community in Romania. Other medal receivers include King Michael of Romania, Romanian Presidents Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu and Traian Băsescu and current President Klaus Iohannis, former mayor of the Transylvanian town of Sibiu.

RADOR – Alexandru Danga