The presidential administration in Bucharest
\nhas announced a list of people who had their decorations withdrawn for penal
\nconvictions. Among the decorations and medals withdrawn are the Order of the
\nStar of Romania in ranks of Grand Cross, Grand officer or the National Order of
\nFaithful Service. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
President Iohannis had previously
\nannounced the move, which is considered natural in the process of curbing
\ncorruption, but which has attracted a lot of heat from his critics, mainly
\ncoming from the left wing political spectrum. The list includes former
\nministers, such as Miron Mitrea or Adrian Severin who was also an MEP as well
\nas Dan Voiculescu. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The list also comprises Gheorghe
\nMencinicopschi, a reputed scientist who is currently serving a prison sentence
\nfor abuse of office and forgery. All those included in the list have served or
\nare presently serving prison sentences on corruption charges. One of those
\naffected by the new measure, the country’s former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase
\nhad a vehement reaction to the president’s decision. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
A recipient of two prison sentences
\nfor blackmail and bribery, the former Prime Minister was awarded the order of
\nthe Star of Romania in rank of Grand Cross in 2002. According to Nastase, the
\nPresident wants to rewrite history at the suggestion of, quote, ‘some migratory
\nbirds and ideological Taliban’ end of quote. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The former Prime Minister is
\nconvinced that the visa waivers to benefit the Romanians, the NATO and EU
\nintegration efforts, the country’s modernization and economic growth, all
\nassets obtained during his term in office between 2001 and 2004 cannot be
\nerased from history text books, neither can they be compared with the
\n‘insignificant activity of president Iohannis during his mandate’. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The former PSD leader has
\nreiterated the rusty and ungrounded explanation of his indictment, which was
\ndone out of purely political reasons. President Iohannis’ latest move is not
\nsingular, three years ago he withdrew the Star of Romanian Order from Lazlo
\nTokes, a former reformed pastor who played a major role in the beginning the
\nanti-communist revolution of 1989, for his chauvinist speeches. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Tokes had suggested that Hungary
\nshould have assumed the status of protector of the Hungarian minority in
\nTransylvania. The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Romania ruled in
\nfavour of president Iohannis and rejected pastor Tokes’ appeal. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
(translated by bill)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has signed a decree to withdraw decorations from former officials indicted for crimes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":80800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[39835,29125,39834,13794,39833],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-84020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-decorations","tag-iohannis","tag-nastase","tag-nato","tag-tokes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n