February 1999
A meeting of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania’s (DAHR) Council of Representatives in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely concluded with one public statement condemning all political trials bearing the stigma of ethnic discrimination, such as the "unjust and discriminatory verdict in the so-called Agache case, which shows the need for greater reform in the justice system . . . as well as the obviously politically-motivated subpoena by the Brasov/Brassó prosecutor of DAHR politicians who participated in the party’s Cernat/Alsócsernáton conference." The statement also found the National Audiovisual Council’s resolution [see report of February 24] mandating the Rumanian-language subtitling or dubbing of television programs illegal and unconstitutional, and placing undue burden on minority-language programming. The DAHR resolution also notes that the National Audiovisual Council has recently, almost without exception, granted broadcast licensees in the predominately Hungarian-inhabited counties only to non-Hungarians. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Mar. 1, 1999]
The Council of Representatives of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania decided at its Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely meeting to establish a Department for Social Affairs, which would facilitate the flow of information between employment seekers and providers. The Department would also make prognoses, prepare analyses and research economic opportunities including European Union programs. The Council also adopted a proposal on the composition of a screening committee. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Mar. 2, 1999]
Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica told Adevarul that Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania politicians weren’t subpoenaed by the Brasov/Brassó prosecutor in order to "harass and intimidate the Alliance or Transylvanian Hungarians," rather as part of legal procedures taken in cases where complaints are filed. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó had asked the minister on February 18 to intervene. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Mar. 2, 1999]
Hungarian daily Romániai Magyar Szó readers reported that bilingual signs in the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania — all along the Cluj/Kolozsvár-Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti road, between the villages of Borla/Szilágyballa and Acis/Ákos — were vandalized with black paint last week following Rumanian National Unity Party (PUNR) President Valeriu Tabara’s call at a party conference in Satu Mare to destroy bilingual signs. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Feb. 27, 1999]
Brasov/Brassó County Chief Prosecutor Nicolae Vasilescu denied that Hungarian Reformed Bishop and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) Honorary President László Tôkés, or any other DAHR politician who participated in the September 1998 Cernat/Alsócsernáton conference has been charged with any crime. All those subpoenaed, maintains the prosecutor, were merely called in as witnesses. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely) , Feb. 26, 1999]
The Hungarian-language daily Népújság noted legal inconsistencies and bias in the conduct of the Brasov/Brassó County Prosecutor: While the office found no legal basis to investigate Greater Rumania Party Covasna/Kovászna County Chairman Gica Agrigoroaie's October 13 announcement about the create of a national guard to "collect leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania and execute them based on an ad hoc jury's verdict" [see reports of October 15, 1998 and January 20, 1999], it did vigorously pursue a complaint filed against DAHR politicians. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely) , Feb. 26, 1999]
In anticipation of the appeal, citizens in Targu Secuiesc/Kézdivásárhely have begun collecting signatures on a petition stating that militiaman Major Aurel Agache was not the victim of murder but died as a result of the public's wrath. Four ethnic Hungarians were sentenced February 15 for allegedly murdering Agache on December 22, 1989 during the Rumanian revolution [see report of February 15]. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Mar. 1, 1999]
The National Audiovisual Council mandated that all domestic television programs be translated in Rumanian, including live reports and programs, following complaints by the television audience that "foreign-language texts in the Rumanian television could not be understood." Based on the Council’s decision, every non-Rumanian language program broadcast in the country is subject to Rumanian-language subtitling or synchronization. This includes television and documentary films, children's programs, live interviews, reports and talk shows. Only specific programs, for example, music videoclips, foreign language-courses and news programs for the ethnic Hungarian and German minorities are exempt. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely) , Feb. 24, 1999]
Cluj/Kolozs County Prosecutor Daniel Morar questioned Sabin Gherman, author of a treatise entitled "I've Had It with Rumania" that last year decried the advance of centralization and advocated administrative autonomy for Transylvania [see report of November 13, 1999]. Two complaints were filed against Gherman, alleging treason and endangering the state's national security, one by Vice President of the Meleascanu-led Romanian Alternative Party, Nicolae Popa, and the other, by the Greater Rumania Party, Rumanian National Unity Party (PUNR) and the Rumanian Social Democracy Party jointly. Gherman, told Szabadság that "he refused to answer questions orally and will prove, in writing, that the charges against him are unfounded, indeed, the administrative autonomy he advocates is part of the Maastricht Agreement and a fundamental condition of European integration." President of the Rumanian Helsinki Committee Gabriel Andreescu stated that the prosecutor's office is clearly unfamiliar with the Constitution, while Rumanian public opinion, in general, is yet to understand what freedom of speech means in a democratic society. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 26, 1999]
Three of the 20 subpoenaed Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania leaders — parliamentary representative Sándor Konya-Hamar, Senator József Csapó, and parliamentary representative Zsolt Szilágyi — appeared at the Brasov/Brassó County Prosecutor's Office [see reports of February 17 and 18]. The prosecutor revealed that, in fact, a complaint had been filed against these 20 participants of a September 1998 DAHR conference by ultra-nationalist Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar who alleged unconstitutional activity and threats to the state's national security. Konya-Hamar told the press that, in his opinion, he and his colleagues successfully refuted the allegations and the prosecutor should be discontinuing the investigation. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 24, 1999]
According to Mediafax, the Bucharest Court announced that it will rule on banning the extremist Greater Romania Party by March 2, a move requested by several human rights organizations and political parties. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 24, 1999]
At its congress in Faget/Gyímesbükk, the Alliance of Csángó Hungarians in Moldova appealed to Education State Secretary József Kötô for the establishment of a Hungarian-language primary school. Bacau/Bákó School District Superintendent Paraschiva Florescu and the Cleja/Klézse elementary school principal have consistently blocked the introduction of an optional Hungarian-language class despite the education ministry's approval more than a year ago and existence of the necessary conditions. President of the Alliance Antal Csicsó encouraged scholars and academics to conduct sociological and linguistic surveys on the estimated 70,000 Hungarian-speaking members of the 250,000-strong Csángó community in Moldova which is artificially being kept illiterate and struggling to forestall its linguistic assimilation. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 22, 1999]
In Zalau/Zilah jointly, a 92 percent Hungarian-inhabited town in Salaj/Szilágy County, the county council approved the city council's resolution to give four streets Hungarian names — Gyula Kincs, Mór Petri, József Salamon and Lajos Szikszai — supplementing the three already existing ones, Lajos Kossuth, Endre Ady and Károly Kiss. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Feb. 22, 1999]
Representatives of seven ethnic Hungarian organizations form East Central Europe — the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania, the Hungarian Coalition Party (Slovakia), the Hungarian Cultural Association of Subcarpathia (Ukraine), the Alliance of Hungarians in Voivodina and the Hungarian Democratic Party of Voivodina (Yugoslavia), the Democratic Community of Hungarians in Croatia (Croatia), and the Hungarian National Autonomous Community of Muravidék (Slovenia) —, Hungary’s parliamentary parties and the World Federation of Hungarians participated in a conference, organized in Budapest, by the Hungarian government, to maintain dialogues and strengthen the relationship between Hungary and the 3.5 million ethnic Hungarians who live as minorities in the seven countries neighboring Hungary. Participants discussed the role of Hungarian minorities in view of Hungary’s future Euro-Atlantic integration and agreed to institutionalize talks by establishing the Hungarian Standing Conference, which would function as a political consultative body and be convened by the Hungarian Premier every year. Foreign Minister János Martonyi spelled out the need for Hungarian minorities to preserve and cultivate their ethnic identity in their homelands, pointing out that Hungary supports not only Hungarian minorities, but also the government coalitions they are a part of — currently, ethnic Hungarian representatives are in the governments of Rumania and Slovakia. DAHR President Béla Markó reiterated that the fundamental interest of ethnic Hungarian communities is to strive for their countries’ inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic integration process. The Conference adopted a general statement, calling attention, among others, to the fact that extreme nationalism violates human and minority rights and endangers the region’s security and stability. It also espoused a specific statement on Voivodina/Vajdaság, the northern province of Yugoslavia, voicing hope that the results of the Kosovo peace talks in Rambouillet will open ways for a political resolution of the crisis. The document stated that participants expressed solidarity with the ethnic Hungarian community in Voivodina, which has been caught in the middle of the nearly decade-long South Slavic conflict and made to bear its consequences. "From the beginning, the Hungarian minority in Voivodina adopted lawful and democratic means to fulfill its human and minority rights. Therefore, it would be unfair to them if their aspirations did not receive enough attention in internationally-driven peace settlement of the Yugoslav crisis," concluded the statement. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 22, 1999; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Feb. 22, 1999]
In a meeting between Minister for Minority Affairs Péter Eckstein- Kovács and leaders of the historic Hungarian Churches, among others, György Jakubinyi, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Alba Iulia/Gyulafehérvár, Árpád Czirják, Roman Catholic Vicar General, József Tempfli, Roman Catholic Bishop of Oradea/Nagyvárad, Pál Resier, Roman Catholic Bishop of Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti, Hungarian Reformed Bishop Kálmán Csiha, Unitarian Bishop Árpád Szabó and Lutheran Bishop Árpád Mózes, the clerics voiced disappointment over the slow-paced return of illegally confiscated church properties, concluding that attempts have, for all intents and purposes, failed throughout the past nine years. [A May 1998 government decree mandated the return of 17 illegally confiscated properties, of which eight pertain to the ethnic Hungarian churches. Ownership was restored in three of those cases — the Petôfi-House in Bucharest, the former headquarters of the Transylvania Museum Association and the building of the Hungarian Reformed Church Bishopric in Cluj/Kolozsvár — but the rightful owners have yet to occupy the buildings.] The minority minister expressed his strong objection to the February 18 government decree, which failed to allocate any monies for historic ethnic Hungarian churches out of a 22 billion Lei state subsidy granted to church institutions. Eckstein-Kovács pointed out that the Government Office for the Protection of National Minorities was not even consulted about the move, and Elek Tôkés, Director of the Department for Religious Affair, was notified after the fact. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 20, 1999]
Cluj/Kolozs County Deputy School Superintendent for Hungarian Studies Ferenc Török reported on the first round of aptitude tests exams held in the county at the lower level. Due to the small number of ethnic Hungarian students in the County —as in other Hungarian-inhabited ones — no test was administered in Hungarian literature. A newer round of eighth grader examinations is scheduled for the end of March that will include one on native-language ability. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 27, 1999]
In a public letter, Hungarian Reformed Bishop and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) Honorary President László Tôkés condemned the legal action citing 20 leading ethnic Hungarians as an attempt to begin a conceptual trial [see report of Feb. 17]. All those subpoenaed participated in a September 1998 DAHR conference held in Cernat/Alsócsernáton. Since the summons fails to identify the legal case involved, he himself will not appear, noted the Bishop. DAHR President Béla Markó told Bucharest Radio that he has already asked Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica to intervene in what is clearly harassment of leading DAHR figures in a fabricated affair. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 19, 1999]
Professor András Béres of the István Szentgyörgyi Faculty of the University of Performing Arts in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely established the Prospero Foundation to support the Hungarian-language Miklós Tompa Theater Company’s endeavors. The Foundation sees its mandate as procuring financial support for those vital tasks not provide for by the Ensemble’s. Accordingly, the Foundation has just purchased the first of what it hopes over the years will total 12 residences for actors. Of the seven Hungarian-language theater companies in Rumania, the Tirgu Mures one is the last to establish a supporting organization. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely) , Feb. 18, 1999]
According to the Rumanian daily Evenimentul zilei, Pope John Paul II will visit Rumania between May 7 and 9, 1999, but will not be able to travel to Transylvania [where the overwhelming majority of the country’s Catholics live] due to the poor roads. The article does not mention that the Pope is usually transported by helicopter within the countries he visits, thereby facilitating access to all localities. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb.18, 1999]
According to the Rumanian daily Transilvania Jurnal, the standing committees of both houses of the Rumanian Parliament rejected the extremist Rumanian National Unity Party’s motion to recall Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Senator György Frunda from the country’s Council of Europe delegation. Frunda has been under attack in the Rumania press, and by several opposition politicians, for proposing the establishment of a minority affairs committee within the Council of Europe [See reports of Jan. 25, 26 and Feb. 2]. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), Feb. 17, 1999]
Leading ethnic Hungarians personalities and politicians have been subpoenaed by the Brasov/Brassó Prosecutor’s Office for February 23 in an undisclosed matter. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Executive Chairman Csaba Takács commented that unfortunately, Hungarians in Rumania have much experience with "secret" court summonses under communism, as well as with post-1989 trials which targeted them [see report of February 15]. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 17, 1999]
The Rumanian Senate’s Legal Committee recommended plenary debate on revoking the parliamentary immunity of the president of the extremist Rumania Mare Party, Corneliu Vadim Tudor. [See report of February 11.] [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 18, 1999]
The Rumanian Parliament adopted the 1999 state budget in a vote of 260:7 with 6 abstentions. The opposition boycotted the vote. Among the provisions approved was the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) proposal to increase support for small and medium-sized businesses from 80 to 300 million Lei. As DAHR Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies’ Reform and Privatization Committee Gyula Vida pointed out, the 500,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the country that employ nearly 1.7 million people need tax concessions and access to credit, as put forth by a DAHR bill recently adopted by the Chamber [see report of Feb. 12]. According to vice president of the Bureau for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises József Birtalan, as a result of the bill, European Community confidence in Rumania has increased as indicated by a 40 million ECU grant for such businesses. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 17,18 and 19, 1999]
The Bucharest court pronounced the verdict in the murder trial of Aurel Agache, head of the militia's economic unit in Targu Secuiesc/Kézdivásárhely, who was the casualty of mass demonstrations in the city’s main square on December 22, 1989, during the Rumanian revolution. Defense lawyer, Senator György Frunda, told the Hungarian-language daily Brassói Lapok that the verdict — sentencing four of five indicted for three to seven years imprisonment plus damages — is clearly unjust. The January 3, 1990 National Salvation Front decree granted amnesty for all acts of violence committed against official organs during the revolution. This amnesty, however, was subsequently selectively applied: only in cases were the ethnicity of victim and accused diverged were charges ever brought, and ultimately, only ethnic Hungarians were sentenced. In the Agache case, the local prosecutor’s office began investigations in November 1991 and placed into custody Dezsô Héjja, Daniela Camilla Orbán Filip, a school teacher, and Ottó Paizs, a hairdresser. Released in January 1992, investigations continued and prosecutor Chis Alexandru prepared the indictment on December 15, 1997, increasing the number of accused to six. The preliminary trial began in February 1998 at the Covasna/Kovászna County Court but was moved to the Bucharest Court in September 1998 at the Agache family’s request. The court ultimately sentenced Daniela Kamilla Orbán Filip to 7 years imprisonment, Dezsô Héjja and Ottó Paizs to 4 years imprisonment, Anton Reiner to 3 years imprisonment, acquitting János Konrád. The court also ruled damages of 10 million Lei funeral costs, 50 million Lei moral compensation to all five members of the Agache family and 1.5 million Lei trial costs. Defense attorney Frunda stated that they will appeal the decision. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 20, 1999]
Rumania’s Ambassador to the Vatican Theodor Baconsky announced that Pope John Paul II has accepted Rumania’s Orthodox Patriarch Teoctist's invitation and will pay a two-day visit to Rumania in early May to meet, among others, President Emil Constantinescu and to hold an ecumenical service and a Roman Catholic mass. It will be the Pope’s first visit to the predominantly Orthodox country and follows the Patriarch's agreement to begin talks with Greek Catholic leaders over 1,800 properties illegally confiscated from the them in 1948 and given to the Orthodox Church. 2 million Greek Catholic believers were also forcefully converted to Orthodoxy during Communism. The announcement that the Pope’s visit would be confined only to Bucharest prompted a February 8 letter by Roman Catholic bishops from Alba Iulia/Gyulafehérvár, Oradea/Nagyvárad, Timisoara/Temesvár and Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti appealing to the Pope to extend his tour to Transylvania, the western part of the country, and visit two of its major religious sites: the Greek Catholic Blaj/Balázsfalva and the Roman Catholic Sumuleu-Ciuc/Csíksomlyó. "Should the Pope not be able to visit Transylvania, his believers — both groups — who suffered for their faith in, and devotion to, the Pope during Communism would be deeply disappointed," stated the letter. In an interview to Szabadság, György Jakubini, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Alba Iulia, said that the Pope’s mission to Transylvania would be all the more important as most of the approximately 1 million Roman Catholics and 1.3 million Greek Catholics in Rumania reside in Transylvania. [Central Europe Online (London) Feb. 15, 1999; Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 15, 1999]
Government Spokesman Razvan Popescu told Mediafax that in Harghita/Hargita and Covasna/Kovászna counties — a 75 percent Hungarian-inhabited area region — the cabinet would allocate 1 billion Lei to Rumanian-language publications since they are unable to maintain themselves in that market. Parliament also approved 10 billion Lei assistance for the Department of Rumanians Abroad, of which 4.3 billion Lei will subsidize Rumanian-language press abroad, said Popescu. The spokesman announced that Viorel Badea will be appointed head of the department following Mugur Vasiliu's removal for providing Prime Minister Radu Vasile and President Emil Constantinescu with misleading information on the Hungarian minority in order to damage Hungarian-Rumanian relations. Vasiliu, for example, publicly accused the Government Office for Hungarians Abroad, a Hungarian government branch, of acting against the integrity of the Rumanian state. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 13, 1999]
The Chamber of Deputies approved Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania deputy and Chairman of the Reform and Privatization, Gyula Vida’s amendment to the 1999 state budget that and additional 220 million Lei be allocated for the support of small and medium-sized enterprises because the originally planned 80 million Lei subsidy is insufficient. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 13, 1999]
The European Children's Trust and the Harghita/Hargita County Department for the Protection of Children signed a bilateral agreement on enhanced cooperation for the protection of orphans. Cristina Guillaume, Program Manager of the Trust, said that the organization has been examining the situation of orphanages in Rumania since 1990. Proca Ioan, head of the Department for the Protection of Children, admitted that current conditions in several orphanages around the county are intolerable, buildings are crowded and in poor condition, mentioning, for example, the one in Cristuru Secuiesc/Székelykeresztúr, which accommodates 450 children. According to the terms of the agreement, the England-based organization would insure regular salaries to two social workers, offer financial and professional assistance to 25 social workers and provide financial aid to 25 families to help adopt foster children. Participants also agreed to encourage smaller, family-based units for parental care instead of the large and uncomfortable state institutions. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Feb. 15, 1999]
The Timis/Temes County branch of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania has asked County Prefect Dumitru Gant to mediate between the Hungarian community and District School Superintendent Octavian Sandu regarding the crisis at the Hungarian-language Béla Bartók Lyceum in Timisoara/Temesvár [see report of February 9]. According to DAHR County President Tibor T. Toró the situation of native-language instruction has deteriorated during the past two years. Unfortunately, no consensus was reached on two critical issues: the school continues to operate without a principal due to as the community and Superintendent support different candidates. The other vital outstanding issue is the need to establish a dormitory facility as this secondary school serves the Bánság region's entire Hungarian community and fostering native-language education requires its own approach, according to community leaders. DAHR has asked for education ministry intervention on this latter issue [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Feb. 8 and 11, 1999]
The Senate’s Legal Committee voted to allow the lifting of parliamentary immunity by a simple Senate majority vote instead of the two-thirds majority required until now. The move came after Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica had repeatedly called for the suspension of Greater Rumania Party President and Senator Corneliu Vadim Tudor’s parliamentary immunity so that legal proceedings against him may begin. The extremist senator accused President Emil Constantinescu of being a foreign spy and threatened Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) leaders with severe reprisals [see report of November 21, 24]. The Senate needs only a simple majority to approve the change. Opposition parties boycotted the committee’s meeting in an effort to obstruct the voting, said Bálint Puskás, DAHR committee member. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 13, 1999]
Following his meeting with Rumanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orbán told the press that Hungary considers it fact that the Rumanian government has decided to establish the Petôfi-Schiller university, and while understanding the legal difficulties, await implementation of the decree. Should this happen, a new era — one qualitatively different — can begin in our bilateral relations, and restoration of the independent Hungarian university may also occur, noted Orbán. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Feb. 11, 1999]
The Native Language Protection Association issued their annual "language deterioration" award to the Radical Publishing House’s 1998 sixth grade mathematics textbook and its translator, Dr. György Steinbrecher. The association examines the level of professionalism, linguistic and stylistic elements, efforts to weaken ethnic Hungarian self-identity in students and scapegoating of Hungarians, including the distortion or neglect of historical events, in textbooks. The organization also found the fourth grade textbooks entitled "History of the Rumanians" by S. Oane and M.Ochescu [Teora Publications, 1998] and "Universal History" by L. Burlec and L.Lazar-B. of All Educational Publications (1998) to be damaging for minority self-identity and lacking in historical accuracy. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Feb. 11, 1999]
Progress, a new PHARE-supported program for the assistance of small and medium-sized companies in Mures/Maros and Harghita/Hargita Counties, was introduced at the Mures County Prefecture. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) , Feb. 3, 1999]
The Timis/Temes County School Superintendent Octavian Sandu refused to renew the position of Ferenc Halász, principal of the Hungarian-language Béla Bartók Lyceum in Timisoara/Temesvár. Halász was appointed by the school board in 1990 and facilitated the restoration of, and developed dormitory facilities for, the only Hungarian-language lyceum in the county. Since 1996, when Octavian Sandu took office, with the support of the Peasant Party, tensions have escalated between the superintendent and the lyceum concerning issues, such as the school’s enrollment plan and expansion of its dormitory facilities, ultimately blocked by the superintendent. The long-standing conflict culminated in the recent suspension of Halász. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania County President Tibor T. Toró said that the incident would not have happened if cultural autonomy were the prevailing norm and the lyceum had the right to select its own leaders. [Erdélyi Napló (Oradea/Nagyvárad), Feb. 9, 1999]
As part of the three-day Rumanian official visit to Budapest, Ministers of Culture József Hámori and Ion Caramitru met to finalize the cultural agreement scheduled for signing in May 1999. Restoration of historic monuments will play a key role in future collaboration. Several buildings in Rumania belonging to the Hungarian cultural heritage are slated for renovation: the Lázár Castle in Lazarea/Gyergyószárhegy, the Bontida/Bonchida and Banloc/Bánlak Castles, the Alba Iulia/Gyulafehérvár and Ciuc/Csík churches, as well as the city gate in Alba Iulia. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Feb. 11, 1999]
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Representative Jenô Mátis expounded on his party’s priorities for economic reform during the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary session. Restructuring of the economy, whereby insolvent enterprises are eliminated, needs to occur while successful companies are supported, stated Mátis, emphasizing the need to augment the budget for health care, culture, small and medium-sized enterprises, education and infrastructure. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) , Feb. 3, 1999]
Rumanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile began a three-day official visit to Budapest accompanied by a delegation of 18. In an interview to the Hungarian Telegraph Agency (MTI) the Premier said that "For the sake of posterity I'd like it to be known that I was the fist to say —- in an MTI interview — on the night of the elections that the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) must participate in the government. I consider DAHR's participation in the government extremely positive. Not from the point of view that it enhances the Rumania's image, but because as a minority organization, the Alliance has to participate in solving such general issues as reform, restructuring, etc." On the issue of establishing the Hungarian and German-language Petôfi-Schiller University, Vasile said that "as you are aware, the issue is now before the appeal's court. Mental opposition to the university exists here as well, and unfortunately, it begins with our own education minister." When commenting on the university issue to DUNA-TV, the prime minister said that should the court not find for establishing the institution "we will find a solution that resolves the issue satisfactorily," promised Vasile. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Népszava (Budapest) , Feb. 8, 1999]
In Cluj/Kolozsvár, Education Minister Andrei Marga discussed the current pace of education reforms with principals of Cluj/Kolozs County high schools and lyceums, university professors and students. The minister emphasized the need to raise the current 8-year mandatory instruction to 9 years in an attempt to combat illiteracy, begin reforms in history instruction, and further decentralization by allowing universities to set the limit of enrollment in each academic division. The discussion also revealed several unresolved problems, for example the slow recognition of foreign certificates and diplomas. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely) , Feb. 8, 1999]
Investigation of the 1989 revolutionary events in Cluj/Kolozsvár dragged on as the Supreme Court returned the case to the prosecutor’s office, accepting objections of the defense attorneys that officers who conducted the investigation were lower rank than the six accused themselves, Ioachim Moga, Nicolae Constantin, Iulian Topliceanu, Valeriu Burtea, Ioan Cocan and Ilie Dicu. The prosecutor’s office may appeal the decision to a special nine-member board of the Supreme Court. Proceedings against the six — on charges of ordering fire against civilians resulting in 26 deaths and 52 wounded — began in 1990, were dropped in 1992 by the military prosecutor, and resumed at the end of last year due to civilian pressure. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) , Feb. 3, 1999]
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Senator and newly-elected deputy chairman of the Council of Europe's Legal Committee György Frunda refuted allegations by the Rumanian press that his proposal to establish a minority affairs committee in the Council of Europe was anti-Rumanian and sought to renew the Council’s monitoring of Rumania's compliance with commitments. Frunda reiterated that the committee would gather information on minority issues and mandate member states to ratify and respect the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages.[Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) , Feb. 2, 1999]
After being sworn in, Minister for Minority Affairs Péter Eckstein-Kovács stated to the Hungarian Telegraph Agency that he would encourage the government to take firm steps on current minority issues such as the government decrees amending the education law and the local public administration law, the establishment of a minority-language university, the return of illegally-confiscated church and community properties and the minority bill. Eckstein-Kovács also named developing a government strategy to enhance the situation of Roma, a priority. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár) , Feb. 3, 1999]