Apparently in opposition, because there were two separate meetings, in fact unified, because both organizations had as main discussion subject the issue of autonomy. UDMR and Hungarians from Transylvania National Council in Miercurea Ciuc and Hungarian Civic Party and Szecklers’ National Council in Odorheiu Secuiesc organized meetings approaching as main issue Szcklers’ Land autonomy.
***
For autonomy and solidarity
The first meeting took place on Friday, September 4 and was organized by UDMR in Miercurea Ciuc. The meeting gathered around 1000 people from Harghita, Covasna and Mures counties. UDMR leaders Marko Bela and Kelemen Hunor, together with Tokes Laszlo, president of Hungarians from Transylvania National Council, held speeches on the stage of the Sports’ Hall from Miercurea Ciuc. They spoke about autonomy and the need for Hungarians’ solidarity and about the need of making the Romanian society aware that autonomy doesn’t mean to take something from somebody and to give it to someone else.
Before the meeting of the local representatives of the Szecklers’ Land began, UDMR President Marko Bela said that territorial autonomy is “difficult to achieve, and should be gradually achieved, not by one move”.
The local representatives gathered there voted for a Szecklers’ Land Proclamation and a memorandum for the Szecklers’ Land public administration special status, both documents based on the idea of achieving Szecklers’ Land autonomy.
Szecklers’ Land Pre-Parliament
The second meeting of Szecklers’ Land local representatives was organized in Odorheiu Secuiesc, by the Hungarian Civic Party (PCM) and the Szecklers’ National Council (CNS). The two organizations announced that this meeting represents a pre-parliament.
Szasz Jeno, Hungarian Civic Party’s president, announced that they gathered in Odorheiu Secuiesc in order to take action for achieving autonomy. “We are here for making some steps toward autonomy, because words are not enough”, said PCM leader. Szasz Jeno said that along the history Romanian Constitution was changed 18 times and now the time has come to change it again so that “the decisions should be taken where the problems appear”.
Over 400 persons attended the meeting of Szecklers’ Land local representatives. The participants adopted a statement on administrative reform and six decisions regarding Szecklers’ Land, among them the one regarding the symbols, hymn, flag and arms. The other decisions refer to the autonomy status of Szecklers’ Land, organizing local referendum, association of local public authorities at regional level and one decision regarding the representation of Szecklers’ Land autonomy trend at the Council of Europe and the European Union.(DIVERS – www.divers.ro)