Le Gouvernement du Québec et le Gouvernemenrt de Terre-Neuve
(Canada) ont annoncé conjointement avant hier qu'un nouveau développement
hydroélectrique, impliquant le détournement partiel de deux
importantes rivières à saumons de la Basse-Côte Nord
québécoise (rivière Romaine et Rivière St-Jean)
sera construit au Labrador sur la rivière Churchill par un consortium
comprenant Newfoundland&Labrador Power, Hydro-Québec et d'autres
intervenants (possiblement les bandes amérindiennes locales). Les
amérindiens ont manifesté bruyamment lors de la signature
de l'entente cadre en exigeant 'être consulté AVANT car il
s,agit, selon eux, de leurs terres ancestrales et de leurs droits et modes
de vie.
Pour un suivi du dossier, consulter: http://www.ledevoir.com/
(Translated by Judit Rácz)
On February 28th, Hungarian citizens held a demonstration before the
Parliament building, and handed over a manifesto to the House of Parliament,
summarizing their demands concerning the Danube. Only the restitution of
constitutionality, and a parlamentary resolution passed during the present
session can prevent rash and unjustified decisions. Therefore, the Danube
Charta and the Danube Circle asked the representatives of the five parlamentary
parties supporting the manifesto to submit a draft for resolution, with
urgency. If voted affirmatively, the resolution means a constitutional
validation of the demands formulated in the manifesto. The resolution shall
order that the Government has no right to sign a contract, or a general
contract, without the authorization of the Parliament. It shall revoke
the document signed in Bratislava on February 27. It shall call upon the
Government to continue the negotiations within the framework given in the
judgement of The Hague, with the inclusion of the Commission of the European
Union, with the aim of reaching an agreement. that serves the interests
of both countries. Further, the Government has to obtain that, during the
negotiations, the water of the Danube is hared according to European norms
between the two countries. The Danube Charta and the Danube Circle express
their thanks to the representatives of the five parliamentary parties,
FIDESZ (Young Democrats), FKGP (Smallholder's Party), MDF (Hungarian Democratic
Forum), MDNP (Hungarian Democratic People's Party, and SZDSZ (Alliance
of Free Democrats), for having submitted with urgency to the Parliament
the draft resolution containing the cure demands of the manifesto. The
only possible way to protect the living conditions of the people living
an the two sides of the Danube is to consistently implement the judgement
of the Hague. The submitted draft resolution is the sole means to ease
upon critical situation, and to set the negotiations between the two countries
on the right track.
MANIFESTO OF THOSE DEMONSTRATING FOR THE DANUBE
ON FEBRUARY 28, 1998
To the Parliament of the Hungarian Republic!
Gyula Horn and his Government wants to build the Nagymaros dam system,
despite of the many-times expressed public
opinion and the decisions of the Parliament, and the ruling of the
Hague Court. If they succeed in it, about 200 kms
of the Danube stretch will be endangered, the basic living conditions
of those living along the Danube, the drinking
water reserves, the beautiful landscape, the Danube bend and the historic
relics of Esztergom will be in the greatest
peril. If the agreement contradictory to the basic interests of the
country is signed, the possibility for Hungary and
Slovakia to settle their decade-long dispute in agreement and to mitigate
the great damages caused by the operation
of the Bos (Gabcikovo) dam in both countries will be lost.
1. The Hague ruling provided a good basis for representing Hungary's
interests. We demand the Government of Hungary
to utilize this possibility for saving the Danube.
2. What has not been constructed, does not need to be constructed.
Hungarian citizens do not want more dams
on the Danube, neither at Nagymaros, nor at Pilismarot,
Dunakiliti or anywhere else.
3. We protests against the Government of Hungary to waste several
hundred of billions of Forints on the account of
those millions who are struggling to make ends meet every
day.
4. We demand that according to the Hague ruling, impartial environment
feasibility studies and economic assessments
be prepared with the participation of an impartial third
party.
5. We want a river instead of reservoirs. Water to the Danube
! We demand that water sufficient for the environment
is led into the Danube and its sidebranches.
6. We demand that the right to appeal to the Hague Court is maintained.
7. We demand that the Government of Hungary does not conclude
any agreement before the elections. We demand
that Governmental officials neglecting the interests of
the country are dismissed.
8. We demand that Constitution is restored in the Danube case!
9. We demand full publicity ! We demand that the right of citizens
participation in decisions affecting their
living conditions is restored!
We will use all means allowed by the Constitution to save the Danube!
More information : http://www.danube.org/feb28/manifesto.html
(Draft) Resolution of the Hungarian Parliament concerning the enforcement of the judgement pronounced by the International Court of The Hague in the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project case
Budapest, March 2, 1998
(Translated by Judit Rácz)
Convinced that only the appropriate expert, professional, preparatory work can provide the ground for the consistent enforcement of the judgement of The Hague,
1. the Parliament establishes that
a) considering the Parliament's previous resolutions,
the Government has the right to sign any international agreement effecting
the enforcement of the judgement,
only with the explicit authorization of the Parliament:
b) because of the lack of approriate preparation
and the necessary parlamentary authorization,
the document concerning the enforcement
of the judgement, signed on February 27, 1998, in
Bratislava, is null and void. The Parliament
will decide the disposition of a general contract
after the completion of necessary assessments
and evaluations.
2. The Parliament calls upon the Government to:
a) request the Commission of the European Union to designate
specialists to carry out the necessary
assessments and evaluations, and to seek the consrnment to:
a) request the Commission of the European Union to designate
specialists to carry out the necessary
assessments and evaluations, and to seek the cons