Vadim gives up nationalist demonstration
Alecs Iancu
The head of nationalist Greater Romania Party Corneliu Vadim Tudor said
yesterday in Senate that his party will not hold a demonstration to
counter the planned rally for autonomy of the Szekler minority in
Odorheiu Secuiesc tomorrow.
Tudor said he made this decision following talks with President Traian
Basescu, Interior Minister Vasile Blaga and Romanian Intelligence
Agency chief Radu Timofte, who gave him assurances that the situation
is under control and the Szeklers will not declare autonomy during the
rally.
"I also made this decision so that our people do not disturb the law
enforcement in any way," the Greater Romania Party leader said, adding
that he and his party's supporters will "stand watch and intervene,
should need be."
Initially, Tudor had said he was going to call some 100,000 Greater
Romania sympathizers to the city of Odorheiu Secuiesc, where the
Szeklers said they planned to declare territorial autonomy on March 15
- Hungary's national holiday.
Tudor also criticized the lack of reaction from Romanian authorities to
what he said was an illegal move by the Szeklers, a small ethnic
Hungarian group.
The Szeklers arrived in Transylvania in the 11th century. There are a
few thousand Szeklers, who are allied with Romania's 1.4 million ethnic
Hungarians.
Yesterday, Tudor said his party was satisfied that it managed to awaken
the authorities "to reality," but criticized that Prime Minister Calin
Popescu Tariceanu did not express his opinion regarding the Szeklers'
intention until Sunday.
On Friday, President Basescu met with Jeno Szasz, mayor of Ordorheiu
Secuiesc, to discuss the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Romania.
Szasz invited Basescu to tomorrow's demonstration, saying it would be
peaceful.
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