Can Democracy Be Saved in Romania, or Is the Country Heading towards an Authoritarian System?
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Dear Sirs,
Romania goes through a crisis unprecedented since the 1989 alleged revolution, all the significant parties of the opposition rejecting the result of the recent parliamentary and presidential elections on grounds of massive fraud. There is no doubt about the fraud itself, but only about its dimensions. The evidence is already overwhelming.
Democrat leader and presidential candidate Traian Basescu, who asked the cancellation of Sunday's elections because of frauds, said in an interview with "Evenimentul zilei" that the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) is trying to justify a fraud of almost 450,000 votes, which had been declared null, with the support of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC).
All media channels were blocked against the announcement of the fact that an electoral fraud was committed and Traian Basescu was shamelessly attacked by journalists and analysts.
The Central Electoral Bureau still has to clearly explain the apparent boost of the support for the leading socialist party (PSD) between the 12.00 pm and 17.00 pm, on November 28th, concomitantly with the mathematically impossible decrease of the number of cancelled votes in the exact same period of time.
Other suspicions are raised by the BECs refuse to allow an independent checking of the computers and the software, so as to investigate the apparent error. And, instead of dealing seriously with the grave accusations of the opposition parties, the BECs president criticized Traian Basescu in a politically partisan declaration that goes against his duty as a judge to remain impartial.
There are overwhelming proofs that numerous citizens had the possibility to vote several times, because the voters could cast their vote anywhere in the country, by simply soliciting to be registered on a supplementary list and more so, the only means to control whether or not one had voted was an easily detachable stamp glued on the identity card. Tens of buses were spotted on the elections day carrying voters from one village or town to another. ONGs as Pro Democratia and other persons have warned about these problems ever since October 2003, following the numerous abuses occurred during the Constitutions revision referendum. Members of the civic organizations were harassed by the governing party during and after the elections and were often offered bribe.
The main televisions, be they public or private, manipulated the voters by omission, uninforming them about the Pro Democratia Associations report and its withdrawal from the process of observing the elections as a desperate warning sign, even though these events were making headlines in the international press. The televisions also ignored the subject of the stenograms from the PSDs sessions, even though these documents (admitted as real by some PSD high rank members) refer to the electoral legislation and the states institutions in a manner that may lead to their incorrect functioning. However, the total subordination of the televisions and of a large number of newspapers is a long-time issue in Romania, where the opposition barely had a chance to appear on TV, and then most often among other tendentious comments.
Months before the elections, the main civic organizations formed The Coalition for a Clean Parliament (CPC), which aimed to bring to the uninformed voters knowledge certified facts about the moral profile of the parliamentary candidates. Hundreds of thousands of fake papers, allegedly signed by the CPC members were launches in the last two weeks of the electoral campaign and rumors had it they had been printed in typographies run by PSD members. The fake papers cut out all the original information about the numerous PSD members and their electoral allies whose moral profile was considered not very well suited to a candidates, instead had lots of unverified information about the opposition members. Ms Monica Macovei, a representative of APADOR-CH (Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania the Helsinki Committee) said the General Prosecutors Office was informed through a complaint, yet no response has been received so far. In Ms Monica Macoveis opinion, this is a sign of the General Courts and the General Prosecutor Ilie Botos lack of independence.
There were lots of other illegal facts during the electoral campaign that the authorities either disregarded or fully supported:
Original voting papers appeared in some citizens mailboxes weeks before the elections. In lots of cases, the opposition banners were subject to destruction, while the ruling party had its banners and posters illegally posted right near the voting centre. Most important, president Iliescu, a former communist party member, defied the law when he accepted to participate in the electoral campaign, even though, according to art. No. 84 in the Romanian Constitution, the president of Romania cannot be a member of a party, nor can he fulfill any other public or private function. The ridiculous argument offered was that he joined the PSD members in their actions in his spare time. More so, both president Iliescu and the ruling party offered food and money to several retirees, despite the fact that electoral bribery is also illegal in Romania. Useless to say that the police took for granted president Iliescus denial of having bribed the respective voters and that no investigation ever started.
Romania is very close now from being ruled by an unrepresentative Parliament. A few years from now, Romania will join the European Union and will presumably send to the European Parliament officials who will have reached a leading position by fraud and constant mass manipulation.
Romania is worth every single effort aimed to protect and consolidate her democracy. We would have so much more to offer the world should honesty and fairness be a criterion to accede power. In a world like yours, where democracy is undoubtedly established, is has so often turned out that not leading others to freedom and justice is a sin.
On behalf of all the worried citizens, we are asking and urging you to support the Romanian civil society and to help us spread the truth about what is really going on here. We need your support to counteract the efforts of the Nastase Government to hide all this lies and infringements. We further need you to support an independent investigation upon the elections in Romania and not recognize any government resulted from the elections on November 28th until the results of this investigation are made public.
We further wish to provide you with the contact data of some of the most important civic organizations in Romania, a few independent newspapers and both of the main political groups on the Romanian political scene:
The Academic Society in Romania:
15, Petofi Sandor, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 2221868
web: www.sar.org.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Press Monitoring Agency:
2, ap 8, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3152313
web: www.mma.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Civic Alliance (National Director Board):
13 Piata Amzei, Etaj 2, Bucharest 70174, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2127542; Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 2127541
web: www.aliantacivica.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania the Helsinki Committee:
Str. Nicolae Tonitza 8, Bucharest 704012, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3124528, 312.37.11
web: www.apador.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Pro Democratia Association:
Bd. Unirii nr. 45, bl. E3, sc. 3, et. 6, ap. 76, Bucharest 030824, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3277736, 3277757
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3216744
web: www.apd.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Centre for Independent Journalism:
Str. Bibescu Voda 18, Et 2, Ap 4, 5, 6, Bucharest 040152, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3356225; 3356225; 3356298
Fax : (+40.21) 3356297
web: www.cji.ro
The Open Society Foundation:
Str Caderea Bastiliei nr 33, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2121101
Fax : (+40.21) 2121032
web: www.osf.ro/ro
The Group for Social Dialogue:
Calea Victoriei 120, sector1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3124841; 3141471
web: gds.ong.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
Juridical Resources Centre:
Str. Arcului nr. 19, Sector 2, Cod 021034, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2120690, 2120691, 2120519
Fax: (+40.21) 2120519
http://www.crj.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
Transparency International Romania
Bd. Eroilor Sanitari 15, Apt. 2, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+4021) 4115500
E-mail: [email protected]
Freedom House Romania:
B-dul Ferdinand 125, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2532838 (+40) 722 205 549, 740 089 253
Fax: (+40.21) 2530063
Romania Think Tank:
Str. Dr Lister nr. 18, Ap. 1, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
Phone:(+40) 740406612
E-mail: [email protected]
The University Solidarity:
Bd. Regina Elisabeta, Nr. 7-9, Bucharest 76000, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3151866
Fax: (+40.21) 3151867
E-mail: [email protected]
Evenimentul Zilei (Newspaper):
Piata Presei Libere Nr. 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2022000
Fax: (+40.21) 2226382
Mr. Cornel Nistorescu, Director: [email protected]
Mr. Dan Tapalaga, Head of Political Dept: [email protected]
Romania Libera (Newspaper):
Piata Presei Libere 1, corp C, etaj IV, sector I, Bucharest, Romania
Mr. Petre Mihai Bacanu, Chief Executive: Phone: (+40.21) 2028100
Ms Simona Popescu, Internal Politics Dept: Phone: (+40.21) 2229146; Fax: (+40.21) 2244513
E-mail:[email protected]
Cotidianul (Newspaper):
Bd. Carol I nr. 34-36, sector 2, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2509532/ 33/ 34/ 35
Fax: (+40.21) 2509701/ 02
Mr. Robert Turcescu, Editor-in-Chief: E-mail: [email protected]
Ziua (Newspaper):
Ion Campineanu nr 4, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3159111, 3159145, 3103170, 3103172, 3103173
Fax: (+40.21) 3103119, 3159160, 3120185, 3159157
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Mihai Toader, Head of Internal Politics Dept: E-mail: [email protected]
The Truth and Justice Alliance (National Liberal Party Democrat Party) (Alianta DA PNL-PD):
Vlad Velcu, Head of PR Dept: Phone: (+40.21) 2315989, E-mail: [email protected]
Ionut Popescu, Spokesman DA Alliance: E-mail: [email protected]
Vasile Blaga, DA Alliance Chief of Campaign: Phone: (+40.21) 2301214, E-mail: [email protected]
Adriana Saftoiu, Head of PR Dept: Phone: (+4021) 2301332, E-mail: [email protected]
The Democrat Party:
Aleea Modrogan nr.1, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2303701
E-mail: [email protected]
The National Liberal Party:
B-dul Aviatorilor nr. 86, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2310795
E-mail: [email protected]
The Social Democrat Party Romanian Humanist Party Union (Uniunea PSD+PUR):
The Social Democrat Party:
B-dul Ion Ionescu de la Brad nr.1, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2027300, 2600999, 2600434
Fax: (+40.21) 2027387
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
The Romanian Humanist Party
Calea Victoriei Nr.118, et. V, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2129547, 3129787
Fax: (+40.21) 2125301
E-mail: [email protected]
Romania goes through a crisis unprecedented since the 1989 alleged revolution, all the significant parties of the opposition rejecting the result of the recent parliamentary and presidential elections on grounds of massive fraud. There is no doubt about the fraud itself, but only about its dimensions. The evidence is already overwhelming.
Democrat leader and presidential candidate Traian Basescu, who asked the cancellation of Sunday's elections because of frauds, said in an interview with "Evenimentul zilei" that the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) is trying to justify a fraud of almost 450,000 votes, which had been declared null, with the support of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC).
All media channels were blocked against the announcement of the fact that an electoral fraud was committed and Traian Basescu was shamelessly attacked by journalists and analysts.
The Central Electoral Bureau still has to clearly explain the apparent boost of the support for the leading socialist party (PSD) between the 12.00 pm and 17.00 pm, on November 28th, concomitantly with the mathematically impossible decrease of the number of cancelled votes in the exact same period of time.
Other suspicions are raised by the BECs refuse to allow an independent checking of the computers and the software, so as to investigate the apparent error. And, instead of dealing seriously with the grave accusations of the opposition parties, the BECs president criticized Traian Basescu in a politically partisan declaration that goes against his duty as a judge to remain impartial.
There are overwhelming proofs that numerous citizens had the possibility to vote several times, because the voters could cast their vote anywhere in the country, by simply soliciting to be registered on a supplementary list and more so, the only means to control whether or not one had voted was an easily detachable stamp glued on the identity card. Tens of buses were spotted on the elections day carrying voters from one village or town to another. ONGs as Pro Democratia and other persons have warned about these problems ever since October 2003, following the numerous abuses occurred during the Constitutions revision referendum. Members of the civic organizations were harassed by the governing party during and after the elections and were often offered bribe.
The main televisions, be they public or private, manipulated the voters by omission, uninforming them about the Pro Democratia Associations report and its withdrawal from the process of observing the elections as a desperate warning sign, even though these events were making headlines in the international press. The televisions also ignored the subject of the stenograms from the PSDs sessions, even though these documents (admitted as real by some PSD high rank members) refer to the electoral legislation and the states institutions in a manner that may lead to their incorrect functioning. However, the total subordination of the televisions and of a large number of newspapers is a long-time issue in Romania, where the opposition barely had a chance to appear on TV, and then most often among other tendentious comments.
Months before the elections, the main civic organizations formed The Coalition for a Clean Parliament (CPC), which aimed to bring to the uninformed voters knowledge certified facts about the moral profile of the parliamentary candidates. Hundreds of thousands of fake papers, allegedly signed by the CPC members were launches in the last two weeks of the electoral campaign and rumors had it they had been printed in typographies run by PSD members. The fake papers cut out all the original information about the numerous PSD members and their electoral allies whose moral profile was considered not very well suited to a candidates, instead had lots of unverified information about the opposition members. Ms Monica Macovei, a representative of APADOR-CH (Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania the Helsinki Committee) said the General Prosecutors Office was informed through a complaint, yet no response has been received so far. In Ms Monica Macoveis opinion, this is a sign of the General Courts and the General Prosecutor Ilie Botos lack of independence.
There were lots of other illegal facts during the electoral campaign that the authorities either disregarded or fully supported:
Original voting papers appeared in some citizens mailboxes weeks before the elections. In lots of cases, the opposition banners were subject to destruction, while the ruling party had its banners and posters illegally posted right near the voting centre. Most important, president Iliescu, a former communist party member, defied the law when he accepted to participate in the electoral campaign, even though, according to art. No. 84 in the Romanian Constitution, the president of Romania cannot be a member of a party, nor can he fulfill any other public or private function. The ridiculous argument offered was that he joined the PSD members in their actions in his spare time. More so, both president Iliescu and the ruling party offered food and money to several retirees, despite the fact that electoral bribery is also illegal in Romania. Useless to say that the police took for granted president Iliescus denial of having bribed the respective voters and that no investigation ever started.
Romania is very close now from being ruled by an unrepresentative Parliament. A few years from now, Romania will join the European Union and will presumably send to the European Parliament officials who will have reached a leading position by fraud and constant mass manipulation.
Romania is worth every single effort aimed to protect and consolidate her democracy. We would have so much more to offer the world should honesty and fairness be a criterion to accede power. In a world like yours, where democracy is undoubtedly established, is has so often turned out that not leading others to freedom and justice is a sin.
On behalf of all the worried citizens, we are asking and urging you to support the Romanian civil society and to help us spread the truth about what is really going on here. We need your support to counteract the efforts of the Nastase Government to hide all this lies and infringements. We further need you to support an independent investigation upon the elections in Romania and not recognize any government resulted from the elections on November 28th until the results of this investigation are made public.
We further wish to provide you with the contact data of some of the most important civic organizations in Romania, a few independent newspapers and both of the main political groups on the Romanian political scene:
The Academic Society in Romania:
15, Petofi Sandor, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 2221868
web: www.sar.org.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Press Monitoring Agency:
2, ap 8, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3152313
web: www.mma.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Civic Alliance (National Director Board):
13 Piata Amzei, Etaj 2, Bucharest 70174, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2127542; Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 2127541
web: www.aliantacivica.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania the Helsinki Committee:
Str. Nicolae Tonitza 8, Bucharest 704012, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3124528, 312.37.11
web: www.apador.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Pro Democratia Association:
Bd. Unirii nr. 45, bl. E3, sc. 3, et. 6, ap. 76, Bucharest 030824, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3277736, 3277757
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3216744
web: www.apd.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
The Centre for Independent Journalism:
Str. Bibescu Voda 18, Et 2, Ap 4, 5, 6, Bucharest 040152, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3356225; 3356225; 3356298
Fax : (+40.21) 3356297
web: www.cji.ro
The Open Society Foundation:
Str Caderea Bastiliei nr 33, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2121101
Fax : (+40.21) 2121032
web: www.osf.ro/ro
The Group for Social Dialogue:
Calea Victoriei 120, sector1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+40.21) 3124841; 3141471
web: gds.ong.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
Juridical Resources Centre:
Str. Arcului nr. 19, Sector 2, Cod 021034, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2120690, 2120691, 2120519
Fax: (+40.21) 2120519
http://www.crj.ro
E-mail: [email protected]
Transparency International Romania
Bd. Eroilor Sanitari 15, Apt. 2, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
Phone/Fax: (+4021) 4115500
E-mail: [email protected]
Freedom House Romania:
B-dul Ferdinand 125, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2532838 (+40) 722 205 549, 740 089 253
Fax: (+40.21) 2530063
Romania Think Tank:
Str. Dr Lister nr. 18, Ap. 1, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania
Phone:(+40) 740406612
E-mail: [email protected]
The University Solidarity:
Bd. Regina Elisabeta, Nr. 7-9, Bucharest 76000, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3151866
Fax: (+40.21) 3151867
E-mail: [email protected]
Evenimentul Zilei (Newspaper):
Piata Presei Libere Nr. 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2022000
Fax: (+40.21) 2226382
Mr. Cornel Nistorescu, Director: [email protected]
Mr. Dan Tapalaga, Head of Political Dept: [email protected]
Romania Libera (Newspaper):
Piata Presei Libere 1, corp C, etaj IV, sector I, Bucharest, Romania
Mr. Petre Mihai Bacanu, Chief Executive: Phone: (+40.21) 2028100
Ms Simona Popescu, Internal Politics Dept: Phone: (+40.21) 2229146; Fax: (+40.21) 2244513
E-mail:[email protected]
Cotidianul (Newspaper):
Bd. Carol I nr. 34-36, sector 2, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2509532/ 33/ 34/ 35
Fax: (+40.21) 2509701/ 02
Mr. Robert Turcescu, Editor-in-Chief: E-mail: [email protected]
Ziua (Newspaper):
Ion Campineanu nr 4, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 3159111, 3159145, 3103170, 3103172, 3103173
Fax: (+40.21) 3103119, 3159160, 3120185, 3159157
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Mihai Toader, Head of Internal Politics Dept: E-mail: [email protected]
The Truth and Justice Alliance (National Liberal Party Democrat Party) (Alianta DA PNL-PD):
Vlad Velcu, Head of PR Dept: Phone: (+40.21) 2315989, E-mail: [email protected]
Ionut Popescu, Spokesman DA Alliance: E-mail: [email protected]
Vasile Blaga, DA Alliance Chief of Campaign: Phone: (+40.21) 2301214, E-mail: [email protected]
Adriana Saftoiu, Head of PR Dept: Phone: (+4021) 2301332, E-mail: [email protected]
The Democrat Party:
Aleea Modrogan nr.1, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2303701
E-mail: [email protected]
The National Liberal Party:
B-dul Aviatorilor nr. 86, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2310795
E-mail: [email protected]
The Social Democrat Party Romanian Humanist Party Union (Uniunea PSD+PUR):
The Social Democrat Party:
B-dul Ion Ionescu de la Brad nr.1, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2027300, 2600999, 2600434
Fax: (+40.21) 2027387
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
The Romanian Humanist Party
Calea Victoriei Nr.118, et. V, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: (+40.21) 2129547, 3129787
Fax: (+40.21) 2125301
E-mail: [email protected]
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Ofelia Preston
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international mass-media, The European Commision, human rights and democracy organizations, embassies in Romania, foreign affairs departments of the democratic states
international mass-media, The European Commision, human rights and democracy organizations, embassies in Romania, foreign affairs departments of the democratic states
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