From: msirbu@next5.cs.umr.edu (Mihai Sirbu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.romanian
Subject: Moldova/Romania News from RFE/RL, 9/14/92
Date: 14 Sep 92 15:29:34 GMT
Organization: University of Missouri-Rolla, Missouri's Technological University

RFE/RL Daily Report               No. 176, 14 September 1992

"DNIESTER REPUBLIC" FORGING AHEAD WITH OWN STATE STRUCTURES. Using
the breathing room gained through the cease-fire agreement, and
under the protective cover of the Russian troops, the "Dniester
republic" is creating state structures of its own.  On 11
September, Interfax and DR-Press reported that a decree by
"Dniester president" Igor Smirnov established "Dniester border
troops," subordinated to the "Dniester Ministry of National
Security" which was created last week by the "Dniester Supreme
Soviet." Tiraspol further announced that it had succeeded in
creating the "Dniester republic's" own banking system, fully
separate from that of Moldova, and that it is now conducting its
own transactions with partners in the other CIS states, bypassing
Moldova, DR-Press reported on 13 September. (Vladimir Socor)

ILIESCU TO SPAIN, ITALY. Romanian president Ion Iliescu attended
festivities on "Romania's Day" at the world exhibition in Seville
on 12 September.  He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Adrian
Nastase, Minister of Culture Ludovic Spiess, and other officials
and well-known cultural and sports figures.  The day before, Radio
Bucharest reported that Iliescu met Spain's King Juan Carlos and
Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales in Madrid. Iliescu cancelled an
unofficial visit to Paris en route for reasons that are not clear,
but he make a stopover in Rome on September 14 to meet Italian
president Oscar Scalfaro and Pope John Paul II. Some independent
Romanian media see in this tour an attempt by Iliescu to persuade
electors that he is not isolated internationally as he fights for
reelection in the 27 September presidential race. (Dan Ionescu)

THOUSANDS RALLY FOR ROMANIAN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE.  Some 15,000
gathered in Cluj on 12 September to show support for Emil
Constantinescu, the main opposition candidate in Romania's
presidential elections.  Constantinescu, who is the rector of
Bucharest university, is running on the ticket of the Democratic
Convention, an alliance of centrist parties and organizations. In
a statement read out at the rally and summarized by Western
agencies, Constantinescu rejected "primitive nationalism,
extremism, and chauvinism." Tension between Romanians and ethnic
Hungarians has been on the rise in Cluj, whose mayor, Gheorghe
Funar, is presidential candidate of the extreme nationalist Party
of Romanian National Unity. (Dan Ionescu)

TOKES ENDS FAST. On 11 September ethnic Hungarian Reformed Bishop
Laszlo Tokes ended his ten-day protest fast in Timisoara.  In a
statement broadcast by Radio Bucharest, he said that he is
breaking off his protest in order to contribute to a peaceful
climate during the run-up to the elections. (Dan Ionescu)


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