POLITICS - January 5th 2004

By MONICA IORDACHE

GREEN GRASS. The former President wants to feel the nature at Scrovistea from time to time The former chief o the state, Ion Iliescu, wants to have occasional access to Scrovistea, in the same time refusing to benefit by a house based on the law regarding the rights of the former Presidents. Corina Cretu, Iliescu’s former spokesperson, stated this for Mediafax yesterday. She also stated that, during the discussion Ion Iliescu and Traian Basescu had regarding the taking over of the chief of the state mandate, they also discussed about the rights of Ion Iliescu as former President of Romania. Iliescu said he doesn’t want a house paid by the state, but that he would have liked to occasionally visit the Scrovistea grounds. Corina Cretu said he wanted this because it used to be the place for him to have some moments alone and that he had "enjoyed it". He doesn’t want full rights for these grounds, but he wants to be allowed to stay there for one week in the summer and in the winter, and for some weekends when the grounds aren’t taken by someone else.

AGREEMENT. Cretu stated that Traian Basescu agreed to Ion Iliescu’s request, and that, based on the present legislation, he could receive a house from the state, like the one former President Emil Constantinescu is living in now. Ion Iliescu is to submit a request regarding the occasional visits to the Scrovistea grounds at the General Secretary of the Government and at the ASPP - AC ("Administration of the State’s Protocol Patrimony" Autonomous Control), Cretu also said. As a matter of fact, Ion Iliescu spent the New Year’s Eve at the Scrovistea grounds, and he is spending his first days in 2005 there as well. An official statement of the Government says that, until now, the General Secretary of the Government didn’t receive an