Basescu: ‘I dare not grandstand as anti-communist’ Nine O’Clock May 28, 2008
On launching book on the communist era, the Head of State says the 50 years of communism must not remain unknown.
President Traian Basescu stated he would never dare grandstand as anti-communist, but that he would not agree that the 50 years of communism must remain hidden.
The Head of State took part at the Romanian Cultural Institute office yesterday in the release of a book by Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu on the communist era.
“In my political activity I did not pursue the fight against communism as a key goal, but in my capacity as Head of State, helped by the fact that I was able to grow, after the revolution, I answered a social demand, both by opening the archives of former Securitate, and by denouncing communism. This is why, I openly say it, never will I dare grandstand as one of you, one of the anti-communist fighters, but at the same time never will I agree that those 50 years of communism must remain hidden,” Traian Basescu said.
He believes the social pressure has begun to decrease, after the archives of the former regime were opened, and communism was denounced. “True enough, things are not moving as fast as we want, but they are moving nonetheless, and I personally find that as light is shed on the truth, we are healing,” Basescu argued.
Vestiges of communist system, evident in the campaign
The President also added that communist regime structures are no longer functional, and there are only residues of this system, “people more or less able to deceive us,” which is evident in the electoral campaign. “What is left of that system are people – people who lived in the old system of ‘party activism’ and in the Securitate services. (…) I firmly believe that Romania’s return to the rules of the old system is absolutely out of the question. Obviously, there are still people who are more or less adept deceivers, and we see this in the electoral campaign as well. There are people more or less able to deceive us, but the Romanian people is no longer willing to tolerate lies and imposture,” Basescu argued.
The Head of State also talked about the Tismaneanu Report, through which the communist period was officially denounced, and said Ticu Dumitrescu’s anti-communist efforts were reflected in this report as well.
“I talk about the Tismaneanu Report not because I want anyone here to imagine that I endorse the values in this report, as a personal merit. I simply found that the Report was accurate, well documented, and in my capacity as Head of State I endorsed the analysis in this report. And I believe in its value and validity,” Basescu mentioned, and emphasised that December 18, 2006 – when communism was officially denounced in Parliament – was one of the achievements of Dumitrescu and of those having fought along him for 18 years, so that the truth about the 50 years of communism may be known. Basescu’s statements came in response to Ticu Dumitrescu’s claim that nothing of his post-1989 efforts yielded fruit.
The author of the book released yesterday at the Romanian Cultural Institute confessed that he had written the book because he felt it was his duty to speak about what he had lived and suffered in the communist era. Ticu Dumitrescu released the book on his very birthday.
CNSAS will have a hard time going through the current test
After his book launch, Ticu Dumitrescu who is also a CNSAS member, talked to President Train Basescu for a few moments, telling him that CNSAS was being put to the test, with the result still to be seen. The President answered him that the result could only be ‘bad’.
Basescu also said that he could not understand the existing fear about the exposure of the former Securitate and former activists’ files. ‘There is an unjustified fear and reluctance about these files,’ said Basescu, adding that, in his view, the reason for that had nothing to do with shame.
Horia Roman Patapievici said ‘they are shameless and at the same time do not want to be exposed.’
by Lavinia Serban
“Ma˘rturie s¸i document” de Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu www.icr.ro/lansare_marturie_document
Mart¸i, 27 mai, ora 11.00, la sediul Institutului Cultural Român (Aleea Alexandru nr. 38, Bucures¸ti) va avea loc lansarea ca˘rt¸ii Ma˘rturie s¸i document (volumul I, pa˘rt¸ile I-III) de Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu, publicata˘ la Editura Polirom. Ala˘turi de autor, vor lua cuvîntul Lucia Hossu-Longin, Marius Oprea, Ion Caramitru, Gheorghe Boldur-La˘t¸escu s¸i Horia-Roman Patapievici. Evenimentul este organizat de Editura Polirom, Asociat¸ia Fos¸tilor Det¸inut¸i Politici din România (AFDPR) s¸i ICR.
Proiectul editorial semnat de Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu reprezinta˘ o încercare de recompunere a istoriei gulagului românesc. Autorul îs¸i transcrie amintirile s¸i scoate la lumina˘ documente despre fapte pe care, în mare parte, le-a tra˘it s¸i le-a verificat prin propria sa viat¸a˘.
Cel dintîi volum este format din trei pa˘rt¸i (partea I: „Recurs la memorie”; pa˘rt¸ile II s¸i III: „Recurs la documente”). Cel de-al doilea, proiectat sa˘ apara˘ tot în trei pa˘rt¸i (subintitulate „Martiri s¸i eroi”), va putea fi ga˘sit în libra˘rii începînd cu toamna acestui an.
Aparit¸ia primului volum a fost sprijinita˘ de Florin Andronescu, Institutul de Investigare a Crimelor Comunismului în România s¸i de ca˘tre det¸inut¸ii politici din filialele AFDPR Bucures¸ti, Craiova, Constant¸a, Bras¸ov, Arges¸ s¸i Târgu-Mures¸.
Prima parte a volumului întîi a fost scrisa˘ între anii 1979 s¸i 1981, „în biroul-dormitor de pe pîrîul Tis¸it¸a, în inima munt¸ilor Vrancei, pe cînd eram s¸eful unui mic s¸antier forestier”, dupa˘ cum ma˘rturises¸te autorul. „Scriam însa˘ printre pica˘turi, pentru ca˘ munceam din greu ca sa˘ pot coordona acel s¸antier, cu zeci de puncte de lucru dispersate s¸i greu accesibile”, a t¸inut sa˘ sublinieze Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
Senator PNT¸CD, pîna˘ în octombrie 1997, s¸i membru al Comisiei pentru cercetarea abuzurilor, combaterea corupt¸iei s¸i petit¸ii, între 1992 s¸i 1996, Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu este pres¸edintele AFDPR, membru al Consiliului Nat¸ional de Studiere a Arhivelor Securita˘t¸ii (CNSAS) s¸i init¸iator al Legii lustrat¸iei.
Autorul a intent¸ionat sa˘ publice aceasta˘ carte „imediat dupa˘ «Revolut¸ia confiscata˘» din decembrie…”, însa˘ implicarea în urgent¸ele momentului (organizarea s¸i afirmarea AFDPR, precum s¸i participarea activa˘ la viat¸a politica˘ s¸i parlamentara˘, începînd cu cea din CPUN), nu i-a lasat timpul necesar transcrierii acestei prime pa˘rt¸i a memoriilor sale. „Am fost prezent s¸i am comba˘tut în schimb, în tot¸i aces¸ti ani, în mass-media, prin sute de articole s¸i interviuri, unele dintre ele referitoare s¸i la cele petrecute în anchetele, temnit¸ele s¸i laga˘rele comuniste de exterminare”, a precizat Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
În ultimele doua˘ part¸i ale volumui întîi, autorul a încercat, în primul rînd, sa˘ redea pe înt¸elesul tuturor anumite date s¸i informat¸ii referitoare la activitatea aparatului de represiune comunist, în special la cea a Securita˘t¸ii. Prin sutele de documente fotocopiate din Arhivele Securita˘t¸ii sau prin fotocopiile unor declarat¸ii, articole de ziar, scrisori etc., Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu a urma˘rit, printre altele, sa˘ dovedeasca˘ faptul „ca ceea ce am scris în memoriile mele s¸i ceea ce au probat cu suferint¸a lor sutele de mii de detinut¸i politici se bazeaza˘ pe adeva˘r s¸i pe suferint¸e inimaginabile”.
Spre deosebire de alt¸i autori care au abordat subiecte similare, autorul volumului a avut posibilitatea sa˘ studieze arhivele Securita˘t¸ii la CNSAS s¸i la Ministerul Justit¸iei, obt¸inînd legal copii ale unor documente importante. „Astfel mi-am putut legitima aceste memorii cu numeroase documente, de unde s¸i titlul ca˘rt¸ii”, a ada˘ugat Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
„Daca˘ pîna˘ la urma˘ m-am hota˘rît totus¸i sa˘ public aceste memorii, am fa˘cut o înainte de toate ca o datorie de cons¸tiint¸a˘. Am trecut s¸i eu prin iadul închisorilor comuniste s¸i aceasta˘ experient¸a˘ de viat¸a˘ s¸i istorie tra˘ita˘ s¸i asumata˘ poate servi celor care vin dupa˘ noi, sa˘ cunoasca˘ s¸i mai ales sa˘ impiedice repetarea unui asemenea trecut. N am fost eroul unei clipe de entuziasm, ci omul care, de-a lungul a mii de zile de temnit¸a˘ s¸i anchete, a ra˘mas dîrz s¸i demn în fat¸a tuturor încerca˘rilor s¸i metodelor de anchetare, umilint¸a˘ sau compromitere. N-am avut tineret¸e, însa˘ am dobîndit cel mai paradoxal titlu de noblet¸e din istoria umanita˘t¸ii, cel de det¸inut politic. Pentru a l fi avut, încerca˘rile erau însa˘ atît de grele, încît costau adesea viat¸a; cei care l-au primit nu l-au dorit s¸i nu l-au cerut, iar cei care l-au acordat nu s¸i-au dat seama ca˘ ne înnobileaza˘, ci au crezut exact contrariul.” (Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu)
Nine O’Clock May 28, 2008
On launching book on the communist era, the Head of State says the 50 years of communism must not remain unknown.
President Traian Basescu stated he would never dare grandstand as anti-communist, but that he would not agree that the 50 years of communism must remain hidden.
The Head of State took part at the Romanian Cultural Institute office yesterday in the release of a book by Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu on the communist era.
“In my political activity I did not pursue the fight against communism as a key goal, but in my capacity as Head of State, helped by the fact that I was able to grow, after the revolution, I answered a social demand, both by opening the archives of former Securitate, and by denouncing communism. This is why, I openly say it, never will I dare grandstand as one of you, one of the anti-communist fighters, but at the same time never will I agree that those 50 years of communism must remain hidden,” Traian Basescu said.
He believes the social pressure has begun to decrease, after the archives of the former regime were opened, and communism was denounced. “True enough, things are not moving as fast as we want, but they are moving nonetheless, and I personally find that as light is shed on the truth, we are healing,” Basescu argued.
Vestiges of communist system, evident in the campaign
The President also added that communist regime structures are no longer functional, and there are only residues of this system, “people more or less able to deceive us,” which is evident in the electoral campaign. “What is left of that system are people – people who lived in the old system of ‘party activism’ and in the Securitate services. (…) I firmly believe that Romania’s return to the rules of the old system is absolutely out of the question. Obviously, there are still people who are more or less adept deceivers, and we see this in the electoral campaign as well. There are people more or less able to deceive us, but the Romanian people is no longer willing to tolerate lies and imposture,” Basescu argued.
The Head of State also talked about the Tismaneanu Report, through which the communist period was officially denounced, and said Ticu Dumitrescu’s anti-communist efforts were reflected in this report as well.
“I talk about the Tismaneanu Report not because I want anyone here to imagine that I endorse the values in this report, as a personal merit. I simply found that the Report was accurate, well documented, and in my capacity as Head of State I endorsed the analysis in this report. And I believe in its value and validity,” Basescu mentioned, and emphasised that December 18, 2006 – when communism was officially denounced in Parliament – was one of the achievements of Dumitrescu and of those having fought along him for 18 years, so that the truth about the 50 years of communism may be known. Basescu’s statements came in response to Ticu Dumitrescu’s claim that nothing of his post-1989 efforts yielded fruit.
The author of the book released yesterday at the Romanian Cultural Institute confessed that he had written the book because he felt it was his duty to speak about what he had lived and suffered in the communist era. Ticu Dumitrescu released the book on his very birthday.
CNSAS will have a hard time going through the current test
After his book launch, Ticu Dumitrescu who is also a CNSAS member, talked to President Train Basescu for a few moments, telling him that CNSAS was being put to the test, with the result still to be seen. The President answered him that the result could only be ‘bad’.
Basescu also said that he could not understand the existing fear about the exposure of the former Securitate and former activists’ files. ‘There is an unjustified fear and reluctance about these files,’ said Basescu, adding that, in his view, the reason for that had nothing to do with shame.
Horia Roman Patapievici said ‘they are shameless and at the same time do not want to be exposed.’
by Lavinia Serban
www.icr.ro/lansare_marturie_document
Mart¸i, 27 mai, ora 11.00, la sediul Institutului Cultural Român (Aleea Alexandru nr. 38, Bucures¸ti) va avea loc lansarea ca˘rt¸ii Ma˘rturie s¸i document (volumul I, pa˘rt¸ile I-III) de Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu, publicata˘ la Editura Polirom. Ala˘turi de autor, vor lua cuvîntul Lucia Hossu-Longin, Marius Oprea, Ion Caramitru, Gheorghe Boldur-La˘t¸escu s¸i Horia-Roman Patapievici. Evenimentul este organizat de Editura Polirom, Asociat¸ia Fos¸tilor Det¸inut¸i Politici din România (AFDPR) s¸i ICR.
Proiectul editorial semnat de Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu reprezinta˘ o încercare de recompunere a istoriei gulagului românesc. Autorul îs¸i transcrie amintirile s¸i scoate la lumina˘ documente despre fapte pe care, în mare parte, le-a tra˘it s¸i le-a verificat prin propria sa viat¸a˘.
Cel dintîi volum este format din trei pa˘rt¸i (partea I: „Recurs la memorie”; pa˘rt¸ile II s¸i III: „Recurs la documente”). Cel de-al doilea, proiectat sa˘ apara˘ tot în trei pa˘rt¸i (subintitulate „Martiri s¸i eroi”), va putea fi ga˘sit în libra˘rii începînd cu toamna acestui an.
Aparit¸ia primului volum a fost sprijinita˘ de Florin Andronescu, Institutul de Investigare a Crimelor Comunismului în România s¸i de ca˘tre det¸inut¸ii politici din filialele AFDPR Bucures¸ti, Craiova, Constant¸a, Bras¸ov, Arges¸ s¸i Târgu-Mures¸.
Prima parte a volumului întîi a fost scrisa˘ între anii 1979 s¸i 1981, „în biroul-dormitor de pe pîrîul Tis¸it¸a, în inima munt¸ilor Vrancei, pe cînd eram s¸eful unui mic s¸antier forestier”, dupa˘ cum ma˘rturises¸te autorul. „Scriam însa˘ printre pica˘turi, pentru ca˘ munceam din greu ca sa˘ pot coordona acel s¸antier, cu zeci de puncte de lucru dispersate s¸i greu accesibile”, a t¸inut sa˘ sublinieze Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
Senator PNT¸CD, pîna˘ în octombrie 1997, s¸i membru al Comisiei pentru cercetarea abuzurilor, combaterea corupt¸iei s¸i petit¸ii, între 1992 s¸i 1996, Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu este pres¸edintele AFDPR, membru al Consiliului Nat¸ional de Studiere a Arhivelor Securita˘t¸ii (CNSAS) s¸i init¸iator al Legii lustrat¸iei.
Autorul a intent¸ionat sa˘ publice aceasta˘ carte „imediat dupa˘ «Revolut¸ia confiscata˘» din decembrie…”, însa˘ implicarea în urgent¸ele momentului (organizarea s¸i afirmarea AFDPR, precum s¸i participarea activa˘ la viat¸a politica˘ s¸i parlamentara˘, începînd cu cea din CPUN), nu i-a lasat timpul necesar transcrierii acestei prime pa˘rt¸i a memoriilor sale. „Am fost prezent s¸i am comba˘tut în schimb, în tot¸i aces¸ti ani, în mass-media, prin sute de articole s¸i interviuri, unele dintre ele referitoare s¸i la cele petrecute în anchetele, temnit¸ele s¸i laga˘rele comuniste de exterminare”, a precizat Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
În ultimele doua˘ part¸i ale volumui întîi, autorul a încercat, în primul rînd, sa˘ redea pe înt¸elesul tuturor anumite date s¸i informat¸ii referitoare la activitatea aparatului de represiune comunist, în special la cea a Securita˘t¸ii. Prin sutele de documente fotocopiate din Arhivele Securita˘t¸ii sau prin fotocopiile unor declarat¸ii, articole de ziar, scrisori etc., Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu a urma˘rit, printre altele, sa˘ dovedeasca˘ faptul „ca ceea ce am scris în memoriile mele s¸i ceea ce au probat cu suferint¸a lor sutele de mii de detinut¸i politici se bazeaza˘ pe adeva˘r s¸i pe suferint¸e inimaginabile”.
Spre deosebire de alt¸i autori care au abordat subiecte similare, autorul volumului a avut posibilitatea sa˘ studieze arhivele Securita˘t¸ii la CNSAS s¸i la Ministerul Justit¸iei, obt¸inînd legal copii ale unor documente importante. „Astfel mi-am putut legitima aceste memorii cu numeroase documente, de unde s¸i titlul ca˘rt¸ii”, a ada˘ugat Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu.
„Daca˘ pîna˘ la urma˘ m-am hota˘rît totus¸i sa˘ public aceste memorii, am fa˘cut o înainte de toate ca o datorie de cons¸tiint¸a˘. Am trecut s¸i eu prin iadul închisorilor comuniste s¸i aceasta˘ experient¸a˘ de viat¸a˘ s¸i istorie tra˘ita˘ s¸i asumata˘ poate servi celor care vin dupa˘ noi, sa˘ cunoasca˘ s¸i mai ales sa˘ impiedice repetarea unui asemenea trecut. N am fost eroul unei clipe de entuziasm, ci omul care, de-a lungul a mii de zile de temnit¸a˘ s¸i anchete, a ra˘mas dîrz s¸i demn în fat¸a tuturor încerca˘rilor s¸i metodelor de anchetare, umilint¸a˘ sau compromitere. N-am avut tineret¸e, însa˘ am dobîndit cel mai paradoxal titlu de noblet¸e din istoria umanita˘t¸ii, cel de det¸inut politic. Pentru a l fi avut, încerca˘rile erau însa˘ atît de grele, încît costau adesea viat¸a; cei care l-au primit nu l-au dorit s¸i nu l-au cerut, iar cei care l-au acordat nu s¸i-au dat seama ca˘ ne înnobileaza˘, ci au crezut exact contrariul.” (Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu)