Ion Diaconescu la 92 de ani,azi.La multi ani!

Ion Diaconescu

via Palatul Şuţu by sutu on 8/25/09

Ion Diaconescu împlineşte azi 92 de ani. Pentru mulţi dintre voi, numele poate că nu spune nimic. Nu, nu este rudă cu ăla de la OTV şi nu are decît vagi legături de sînge cu actualul ministru de externe. Ion Diaconescu este unul dintre ultimii politicieni în viaţă care au apucat să facă politică înainte de al doilea război mondial. S-a înscris în PNŢ în 1936, iar între 1944 şi 1947 a făcut parte din conducerea organizaţiei de tineret a ţărăniştilor. La 30 de ani, însă, avea să intre în puşcărie pentru că nu era comunist şi nici n-a vrut să devină. A stat 17 ani în cele mai cumplite temniţe. L-am auzit de multe ori povestind despre anii în care cele mai luminate minţi ale României aveau să cunoască tortura, frigul, foametea şi izolarea. Povestea adesea cu umor – o lecţie a supravieţuirii.

Imaginaţi-vă, ca să înţelegeţi despre cine vă vorbesc astăzi, că nu mai aveţi telefon, televizor sau radio şi că nu mai puteţi comunica nici pe bloguri, messenger sau twitter. Şi că sunteţi închişi într-o cameră fără geamuri, fără pat. Şi că nu aveţi nici o idee despre cîţi ani va dura coşmarul ăsta. Ce faceţi? Greu, nu? Hai să vă spun ce au făcut în condiţiile astea, în temniţa de la Râmnicu Sărat, Ion Diaconescu şi ceilalţi lideri ţărănişti, între care Ion Mihalache (care a şi murit acolo, pe 6 martie 1963): au învăţat să comunice în limbajul morse. Iniţial prin bătăi în perete şi ulterior, cînd n-au mai fost lăsaţi, prin tuşit. Da, aţi citit bine, tusea morse.

35 de ani mai tîrziu, Ion Diaconescu avea să fie ales în funcţia de preşedinte al Camerei Deputaţilor. Eram la Parlament cînd a venit acolo, ca să-i strîngă mîna, premierul Tony Blair. Nu pot să uita scena în care premierul britanic i-a lăsat deoparte pe toţi politicienii din jur, între care Radu Vasile, Petre Roman şi alţii, şi s-a îndreptat spre Diaconescu în faţa căruia a făcut o plecăciune.

Astăzi, Ion Diaconescu împlineşte 92 de ani. Partidul său a ieşit de nouă ani din Parlament, iar actualul preşedinte al PNŢCD n-a fost de acord cu aniversarea liderului ţărănist la sediul central, de teamă că prietenii lui Diaconescu îl vor lăsa fără scaunul de preşedinte.

Un reportaj de la aniversarea lui Diaconescu, care va avea totuşi loc în sediul filialei sectorului 3, citiţi în Cotidianul de mîine.

In Memoriam: ION RATIU (6 Jun 1917 - 17 Ian 2000)

Romani Online va invita sa ne aducem aminte de Ion Ratiu.

In Memoriam: ION RATIU (6 June 1917 17January 2000) Lawyer, journalist, writer, politician, businessman and philanthropist, Ion Ratiu died eight years ago, on the 17thof January 2000. Ion Ratiu was the most outspoken and consistent opponent of the communist dictatorship in Romania, and of Nicolae Ceausescu, whose regime he opposed for years as the democratically elected leader of the World Union of Free Romanians. Journalist, broadcaster and author, he was also a highly successful businessman in shipping and property. He returned to Romania in 1990, where he continued his political struggle against the remnants of the communist ruling class. Was elected Member of the Romanian Parliament for Cluj and then Arad (both in Transylvania), vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies (the Lower House of the Romanian Parliament), runner-up for the presidency of Romania, ambassador and negotiator for Romanias integration in NATOs structures. Ion Ratiu was born in Turda, Transylvania, on the 6th of June 1917. After studying Law and joining the army, he joined Romanias Foreign Service in April 1940. He was sent to London as a chancellor at the Romanian Legation under Minister Viorel V. Tilea. Shortly afterwards, as a result of Romanias alignment with the Axis powers, the young Ratiu resigned his post and obtained political asylum in Britain. He then won a scholarship to study economics at St. Johns College, Cambridge. In 1945 Ion Ratiu married Elisabeth Pilkington in London. In 1975, he decided to devote all his energy to the pursuit of a free Romania, and he played a key role in setting up the World Union of Free Romanians, which elected him president at its first congress in Geneva (1984). After his return to Romania in 1990, Ion Ratiu was nominated the presidential candidate on behalf of the National Peasant Party-Christian Democrat (PNT-CD) in the first free elections after the fall of the communist regime. Although he became a member of the Romanian Parliament, and he was to serve his country well for many years, the failure to win the presidency was a grave disappointment. Even nowadays, on Romanian streets, Ion Ratiu is often referred to as the best president Romania never had. After a short illness, Ion Ratiu died in London on the 17thof January 2000, surrounded by his family. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in January 2000 in his home town of Turda. His funeral was attended by over 10,000 people. // // // // // // // // // // We present below fragments from an interview on Radio Free Europe, 19 May 1986. Ion Ratiu was answering the questions of Vlad Georgescu, Free Europes director at the time. In addition to his other views on Romanias situation and Soviet policies regarding it, Ion Ratiu explained what the World Union of Free Romanians stood for and what his vision for a future Romania was. Immediately after the World Union of Free Romanians was established in 1984, we had the opportunity to act. Minister Gheorghe Oprea [n.n. from Ceausescus government] came to West Germany to perfect a commercial treaty. Our rapid intervention, appealing to all, from the German federal president to the Chancellor and the specialised ministers, was to point out that it would be a crime, from the Wests point of view, to accept food and other goods from Romania when considering that these goods are lacking or are rationed over there. The interesting part was that we had an immediate response. And when Ceausescu came to visit Bonn, we organised a public demonstration. When the Danube-Black Sea Channel was opened, we pointed out all the facts about this gigantesque endeavour, including its original purpose [n.n. as gulag for political opponents]. Also, when Romania took part in the Los Angeles Olympics, we came again to explain the situation over in Romania. We had the chance to show that Romanians perform magnificently despite the hardships in their country. In other words, whenever we had an occasion to do so, we intervened. In Ottawa, when the Helsinki treaties and agreements were verified last year [n.n. 1985], we brought about a petition to support the rights of 309 people from Romania we knew were persecuted. We always stand up for the Romanians who are persecuted by the government. This is our mission. We also liaise with the governments of the Free World, we take a stand in all important problems regarding Romania, and help individual Romanians. If we are able to act, we take action. [...] A political man needs to try and foresee the future. Otherwise, he is not a politician. I would not dare to say more than what I wish would happen in the future, what I would like to see happening. I see a free, independent country, in the sense of independence a country can have in the modern world. I would like to see a democratic country which would give all citizens equal rights, no matter what their nationality, ethnicity, social status or religion is. I would like to see a Christian country, and a country where social justice is put into practice. Private property should be restored and re-established. Economic development should be related to the actual resources, to the countrys natural wealth this can give good results, since Romania has many resources. This is the way I foresee things. // // // // // // // // // // In 1979, Ion and Elisabeth Ratiu established The Ratiu Foundation in London. The main objective of the Foundation is to promote and support projects which further education and research in the culture and history of Romania and its people. Projects, undertaken in Romania, are encouraged in different subjects, such as patrimony, civil society, democracy, civilisation and environment protection. The Foundation maintains offices in London, Turda and Bucharest. More details on www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com

Romania libera - Chiuariu, inapoi la Fenechiu

Romania libera - Chiuariu, inapoi la Fenechiu

....se pregateste nu VICTOR ALISTAR,ci NORICA NICOLAI!...de cand astepta babette - slinoasa sa se faca ministreasa , poate o ia la minister si pe votanta aia mica din Fundulea sau Lehliu-Gara de fuse prinsa cu cardu'n mana dupa ce la operat la vot pe Melescanu la PARLAMENT....rezerva de cadre a PNL/ului este subtirica si face apel la o fosta taranca taranista - parca secretar de stat la interne in regimul profesorului de pietre invins de fosta si noua securitate....

ION RATIU - un boier,un gentlemen,un patriot

Tom GALLAGHER ne aminteste de marele om care a fost
Ion RATIU,boier,gentlemen,patriot,
politician cu democratia in sange
Au trecut mai bine de sapte ani
de cand a trecut in nefiinta,dar multe lucruri importante pentru noi care le-a cultivat in exil si dupa reintoarcerea 1990 in Romania au evoluat mai greu sau mai usor si
acum suntem in Uniunea Europeana si in NATO.
Nu pot uita cu cata fericire impartea singur,fara bodyguard,
primul numar al ziarului care l-a infiintat in mai 1991-COTIDIANUL
si pe frontispiciul caruia isi punea cu placere autograful celor ce i-l solicitau...cu nelipsitu-i papion si o haina modesta de lucru,la Piata Rosetti,in fata sediului PNTCD.
Calitatea londoneza a acelui ziar COTIDIANUL din acei primi ani nu poate fi atinsa de cotidienele de astazi...cel putin asa vad eu.
In focul prezent ai unei clase politice imature,
Tom Gallagher a facut un lucru nemaipomenit amintindu-ne de
Ion RATIU