Controversial citizens’ initiative on Szekler Land’s autonomy published in the Official Gazette

A citizens’ law initiative publicly endorsed by former MEP Laszlo Tokes on the autonomy of the Szekler Land has been published in the Official Gazette and is to be sent to the Parliament as well for debate, next to the lists with at least 100,000 signatures.

The initiative has been drafted by an initiative committee consisting in 10 Magyar people: Arus Zsolt Istvan, Elekes-Jozsa Martin, Baico Zsigmond, Kercso Attila, Marton Csaba, Czink Attila, Kolcsar Gheza, Takacs Jozsef, Cziriak Karoly, Kovacs Laszlo.

The citizens’ initiative was also endorsed by former MEP Laszlo Tokes who was elected chairman of the initiative committee in 2015. However, he is not among the committee members on the list officially registered and submitted to the Official Gazette.

The controversial draft has been vetoed by the Legislative Council, arguing that it breaks constitutional provisions for “it practically aims at creating a distinct state entity, parallel with the Romanian unitary state”.

According to the article 1 of the Constitution, “Romania is a national, sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible state”.

The law 189/1999 stipulates the citizens’ initiative must be published in the Official Gazette and can be filed in Parliament within 6 months. The initiative must have at least 100,000 signatures that must origin from at least a quarter of the country’s counties, while at least 5,000 signatures supporting the initiative must be registered in these counties and in Bucharest.

After it is tabled in Parliament, it will be also send to the Constitutional Court for notification.

The Magyar citizens’ initiative is the second attempt to declare the Szekler Land’ autonomy by the law. A similar initiative initiated by the Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania (UDMR) lawmakers was vetoed in 2012, after seven years of staying in Parliament.

UDMR has launched another project on the Szekler Land’s autonomy in 2014, but it hasn’t been tabled in Parliament.

What does the initiative entail?

According to the initiative, the Szekler Land will become autonomous region with legal personality within Romania, having the right of deciding and managing in certain fields, including on adopting and exerting a policy typical to the region.

The initiative also says that the territory of the autonomous region is to comprise the current counties of Covasna, Harghita and Mures (where the Hungarian minority is of a majority).

The autonomous region will be split into 8 “seats” representing Szekler traditional territories, each of one with its own residence. Magyar language is to be enforced as the official language and is to be used in school, educational, justice and administration institutions.

The draft initiative also stipulates that the region should be run by a president, while regional authorities will take over the duties of the current local authorities, including in the fiscal field, with the right to draft their own rules, Digi24.ro reports.