- Remus Opriş
Remus Opriş (b.
November 20 ,1958 ) is aRomania n politician and psychiatrist, a prominent member of the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (PNŢCD) and former Minister-Delegate for Local Administration in the 1996-1998Victor Ciorbea cabinet (formed around theRomanian Democratic Convention , CDR). He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies forPrahova County for three consecutive terms, between 1992 and 2000.Biography
Opriş was born in
Ploieşti , graduating from the I. L. Caragiale High School in 1977, and from theBucharest Carol Davila General Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty in 1983.ro icon [http://www.cdep.ro/pls/parlam/structura.mp?idm=76&cam=2&leg=1996&pag=0&idl=1 Profile at the Chamber of Deputies site] ] He was a general practitioner until 1990, when he began his specialization in Psychiatry (completed in 1992). In 1999, he completed a post-graduate course at the National College of Defense.Joining the PNŢCD after the 1989 Revolution, Opriş became leader of its youth organization on 1991 (serving until 1993), a junior member of its Leadership Bureau (1991-1995, during the time when the party was headed by
Corneliu Coposu ) and its Vice President in 1996. As a member of the Chamber, he sat on its Committee for Health and Family throughout his mandates, and advanced legislation on medical practice, the creation of aCollege of Romanian Doctors ,health insurance , andforensic science .Upon the CDR's creation, before the elections of 1996, he became the new body's campaign organizer. In December 1996, after the election victory, Opriş was appointed to ministerial office, as Minister-Delegate for Coordinating the General Secretariat of the Government and of the Department for Local Public Administration. He proposed several new laws, including those on
ministerial responsibility , the status ofcivil servant s, onproperty rights , and on local budgets, as well as issuing a 1997 ordinance to amend the Law on Public Administration.During the new
Radu Vasile government, Remus Opriş was also noted for his criticism of Democratic Party (PD), the CDR's coalition partner, and condemned the decision taken byRadu Berceanu , the PD's Minister of Industry and Commerce, to replace PNŢCD-appointed members of the administrative boards for state-owned enterprises such asRENEL andROMGAZ . [http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/rador/1998/98-05-27.rador.html#04 "Remus Opriş Criticises Industry and Trade Minister's Decision"] ,RADOR ,May 27 ,1998 ] At the time, he stated: "If the PD believes Mr. Berceanu's decision was fair, that means the PD is trying to gain electoral capital by further harassing its coalition partners".He soon became noted for his opposition to the Premier, and called on him to resignro icon
Sorin Roşca-Stănescu [http://www.ziua.ro/reader/chapter.php?book_id=2&chapter=101 "Capul lui Vasile" ("Vasile's Head")] , fragment of "Marea Provocare", published by "Ziua "] — according to the journalistSorin Roşca-Stănescu , Opriş was the leader of a PNŢCD faction who came into conflict with Vasile's. After the Vasile cabinet was replaced with that ofMugur Isărescu , the PNŢCD went on to face a parliamentary crisis due to a standoff with the PD, when the PD's Minister of Defense,Victor Babiuc , decided to leave his party — the PD refused to pass legislation until Babiuc was to be replaced withSorin Frunzăverde .ro icon [http://www.zf.ro/articol_15061/asediat_si_fara_gloante_pd____trage_de_timp.html "Asediat şi fără gloanţe, PD... trage de timp" ("Under Siege and with No Bullets Left, the PD... Shoots Time")] , in "Ziarul Financiar ",March 10 ,2000 ] In response, Opriş called on all other coalition partners (the National Liberals, the Social Democrats, the Democratic Union of Hungarians and various minor groups) to express support for the proposed legislation, and argued that new laws could conceivably be passed with support from opposition parties. (The crisis was ultimately overcome when Frunzăverde took over as minister.)No longer elected to office in the elections of 2000 (when the PNŢCD as a whole failed to pass the
election threshold in either chamber of Parliament), Remus Opriş resumed his activity as Vice President of the PNŢCD (briefly renamed "Christian-Democratic People's Party", PPCD).ro icon [http://www.evenimentul.ro/articol/nu-vom-accepta-sa-fim-absorbiti-de-alte-partide.html "«Nu vom accepta să fim absorbiţi de alte partide»" ("«We Will Not Accept Absorption into Other Parties»")] (interview with Remus Opriş), in "Evenimentul ",March 1 ,2006 ] In March 2006, he rejected the offer of fusion proposed by the PD, aimed at creating a "center-right pole" in Romanian politics, and indicated that the National Peasants' Party would carry on as an independent force.In July 2006, Opriş was presented by the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives with the file kept on him by the
Securitate , attesting thatCommunist Romania n authorities had him under constant surveillance between 1976 and 1978, and again in 1981.ro icon [http://www.ziua.ro/display.php?data=2006-07-21&id=203977 "Remus Opriş a fost urmărit de 38 de securişti" ("Remus Opriş Was Kept under Surveillance by 38 Securitate Men")] , in "Ziua ",July 21 ,2006 ] At the time, he specified, 16 Securitate officers had overseen his case, and he had been reported on by 22 informants.References
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