Doru Viorel Ursu
Encyclopedia
Doru Viorel Ursu is a Romania
n politician and lawyer. A member of the National Salvation Front (FSN), he was Minister of the Interior in the Petre Roman
cabinets, carrying his mandate between the Mineriad
s of 1990 and 1991.
, Ursu graduated from the University of Bucharest
's Faculty of Law, and later received his PhD
from the same institution. He worked for the Bucharest
Military Tribunal, serving as its Vice President and, later, its President.
Following the 1989 Revolution
, he became Minister of the Interior on June 16, 1990, when his predecessor, General Mihai Chiţac
, was relieved from office. This came in the wake of the June 1990 Mineriad
, when miners from the Jiu Valley
repressed the civic protest in Bucharest's University Square
(known as the Golaniad
). Ursu's alleged involvement in the events remains the topic of controversy, and his name repeatedly surfaced among those accused of covering up the actual death-toll and overall scale of violence. In 2003, Ziua
newspaper reported that Ursu had authored an official account of the events in which he acknowledged that the miners had been transported to Bucharest with assistance from the authorities, that Chiţac had ordered troops to offer the miners their full support and to open fire on demonstrators, and that as many as 1,200 protesters had been arrested. Official data authored by Ursu and Prosecutor-General Gheorghe Robu, released soon after the events, accounted for 185 people arrested.
He lost his position after the Roman government was deposed by the new Mineriad of September 1991, but was appointed Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Theodor Stolojan
cabinet, and later Secretary of State, head of the Department for Local Public Administration.
In 1992, Ursu rallied with the opposition party formed around the pro-Roman faction of the FSN — known after 1993 under as the Democratic Party (PD) —, and won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies
for Argeş County
during the election of that year. Subsequently, he served on the Committee for Public Administration, Territorial Improvement and Environmental Balance, and on the Permanent Committee of the Chamber and Senate
for Exercising Parliamentary
Control over the Activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service
(SRI). He left the PD in March 1995, and carried out his mandate as an independent.
In April 2005, the Association of Mineriad Victims argued that it had gathered enough evidence to incriminate Ursu, together with former President
Ion Iliescu
and former Premier Petre Roman
, for having organized and profited from the June 1990 events (replying on this issue, Roman argued that his cabinet had itself been targeted by the miners). The Association's president, Viorel Ene, specifically accused Ursu and, among others, the SRI's Virgil Măgureanu
, General Pavel Abraham, and Counter Admiral Cico Dumitrescu, of having overseen the transport of protesters arrested in downtown Bucharest to military facilities around the capital, an illegal measure which, reportedly, also resulted in a widespread incidence of beatings and the murder of several prisoners.
During the 2004-2005 season
, Doru Viorel Ursu served as President of the Romanian Football Federation
's Disciplinary Commission; he resigned in May 2005, citing irregularities in procedures (according to Ursu, sanctions for misconduct prescribed for local soccer
clubs were regularly below standards imposed by FIFA
).
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n politician and lawyer. A member of the National Salvation Front (FSN), he was Minister of the Interior in the Petre Roman
Petre Roman
Petre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
cabinets, carrying his mandate between the Mineriad
Mineriad
See also The 1990s: the rise and decline of miners' unionsA Mineriad is the term used to name any of the successive violent interventions of miners in Bucharest. These interventions were generally seen as aimed at wrestling policy changes or simply material advantages from the current political...
s of 1990 and 1991.
Biography
Born in Turnu SeverinDrobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a city in Mehedinţi County, Oltenia, Romania, on the left bank of the Danube, below the Iron Gates.The city administers three villages: Dudaşu Schelei, Gura Văii, and Schela Cladovei...
, Ursu graduated from the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
's Faculty of Law, and later received his PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the same institution. He worked for the Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
Military Tribunal, serving as its Vice President and, later, its President.
Following the 1989 Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, he became Minister of the Interior on June 16, 1990, when his predecessor, General Mihai Chiţac
Mihai Chiţac
Mihai Chiţac was a Romanian general and Interior Minister from 1989 to 1990 during the waning days of the Communist era...
, was relieved from office. This came in the wake of the June 1990 Mineriad
June 1990 Mineriad
The June 1990 Mineriad was the suppression of an anti-National Salvation Front sit-in protests in Bucharest, Romania by the violent intervention of coal miners from the Jiu Valley, brought to Bucharest by the government to counter the rising violence of the protesters...
, when miners from the Jiu Valley
Jiu Valley
The Jiu Valley is a region in southwestern Romania, in Hunedoara county, situated in a valley of the Jiu River between the Retezat Mountains and the Parâng Mountains...
repressed the civic protest in Bucharest's University Square
University Square, Bucharest
University Square is located in downtown Bucharest, near the University of Bucharest.Four statues are located in the University Square, in front of the University; they depict Ion Heliade Rădulescu , Michael the Brave , Gheorghe Lazăr and Spiru Haret .The square was the site of the 1990 Golaniad,...
(known as the Golaniad
Golaniad
The Golaniad was a protest in Romania in the University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest....
). Ursu's alleged involvement in the events remains the topic of controversy, and his name repeatedly surfaced among those accused of covering up the actual death-toll and overall scale of violence. In 2003, Ziua
Ziua
Ziua was a major Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was published in Romanian with a fairly sizeable and often informative English section. Ziua was founded in 1994 by Sorin Roşca Stănescu, eventually becoming foreign-owned...
newspaper reported that Ursu had authored an official account of the events in which he acknowledged that the miners had been transported to Bucharest with assistance from the authorities, that Chiţac had ordered troops to offer the miners their full support and to open fire on demonstrators, and that as many as 1,200 protesters had been arrested. Official data authored by Ursu and Prosecutor-General Gheorghe Robu, released soon after the events, accounted for 185 people arrested.
He lost his position after the Roman government was deposed by the new Mineriad of September 1991, but was appointed Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Stolojan
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
cabinet, and later Secretary of State, head of the Department for Local Public Administration.
In 1992, Ursu rallied with the opposition party formed around the pro-Roman faction of the FSN — known after 1993 under as the Democratic Party (PD) —, and won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in Romania's bicameral parliament. It has 315 seats, to which deputies are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms...
for Argeş County
Arges County
Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
during the election of that year. Subsequently, he served on the Committee for Public Administration, Territorial Improvement and Environmental Balance, and on the Permanent Committee of the Chamber and Senate
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
for Exercising Parliamentary
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
Control over the Activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service
Serviciul Român de Informatii
The Romanian Intelligence Service is the Romanian domestic intelligence service. It is considered the descendant of the former Departamentul Securităţii Statului , of the Socialist Republic of Romania. The official decree The Romanian Intelligence Service (', SRI) is the Romanian domestic...
(SRI). He left the PD in March 1995, and carried out his mandate as an independent.
In April 2005, the Association of Mineriad Victims argued that it had gathered enough evidence to incriminate Ursu, together with former President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
and former Premier Petre Roman
Petre Roman
Petre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
, for having organized and profited from the June 1990 events (replying on this issue, Roman argued that his cabinet had itself been targeted by the miners). The Association's president, Viorel Ene, specifically accused Ursu and, among others, the SRI's Virgil Măgureanu
Virgil Măgureanu
Virgil Măgureanu, is a Romanian sociologist that was the head of the main intelligence service of Romania, Serviciul Român de Informaţii, or SRI between 1990-1997...
, General Pavel Abraham, and Counter Admiral Cico Dumitrescu, of having overseen the transport of protesters arrested in downtown Bucharest to military facilities around the capital, an illegal measure which, reportedly, also resulted in a widespread incidence of beatings and the murder of several prisoners.
During the 2004-2005 season
2004-05 in Romanian Football
The 2004/05 season was one of the best seasons of Divizia A in the 21st century. Steaua Bucureşti became champions of Romania and Dinamo Bucureşti won the Romanian Cup and the Romanian Super Cup...
, Doru Viorel Ursu served as President of the Romanian Football Federation
Romanian Football Federation
The Romanian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Romania. It organizes the Romania national football team and most of the Romanian football competitions. It is based in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest...
's Disciplinary Commission; he resigned in May 2005, citing irregularities in procedures (according to Ursu, sanctions for misconduct prescribed for local soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
clubs were regularly below standards imposed by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
).