President Iohannis requests Parliament to re-examine Law on Greater Union Centennial

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday sent Parliament for re-examination the Law regarding the Centennial of the Nation Unification War (1916-1918) and the Greater Union Centennial, according to the Presidential Administration. 

The head of state says in his re-examination request addressed to Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, that the law regarding the centennial of the Nation Unification War (1916-1918) and the Greater Union Centennial provides for the creation of several national commemorative and anniversary decorations, as well as the necessary framework for organising events honouring the memory of the heroes of the Nation Unification War and marking the Greater Union Centennial. 

The head of state draws attention to the title of the law, considering that the indication of the 1916-1918 interval does not "accurately reflect the heroism and human sacrifice, otherwise recorded in documents, scientific papers, monuments, memorials and inscriptions attesting to their continuation throughout 1919." 

Iohannis mentions that the law sent for promulgation stipulates that Romania's Government is to drawn up until 30 June 2017, after consultations and based on proposals coming from central and local public administrations, as well as from other bodies, state-run companies, public corporations autonomous administrations, officially recognised religious denominations, the schedule of events commemorating the National Unification War in 2017, and he signals that the promulgation deadline started prior to this date, and so legislative action cannot generate legal effects, while the principle of non-retroactivity of the law. 

Moreover, Iohannis indicates that, according to the sane law the Government is to annually elaborate, in the years 2018-2020 and until 30 November of the previous year, after consultations and based on proposals coming from central and local public administrations, as well as from other bodies, state-run companies, public corporations autonomous administrations, officially recognised religious denominations, the National Centennial Programme for the next year. 

Iohannis tells the lawmakers about the opportunity to broaden the consultation framework by including non-governmental organisations in this decision-making process. 

"We believe that the Law regarding the Centennial of the National Unification War (1916-1918) and the Greater Union Centennial should be re-examined by Parliament from its correlation with new regulations for the reorganisation of the Centennial Department and the establishment of the Inter-ministerial Centennial Committee, adopted by Government Ordinance 5/2017, to consistently establish the responsibilities of the public administrations and bodies for the organisation and unfolding of the anniversary events," Iohannis concludes.

AGERPRES.