(from "the European", 16-19 august 1992)

Romania's government, financed by Community taxpayers, is still buyng support and abusing human rights, says Edward McMillan Scott, Member of the European Parliament for York.

It is unfortunately that Ion Iliescu's Romanian National Salvation Front (NSF), which smoothly took power after the death of Ceausescu in 1989, still commands that tragic and lovely country.

Romanians say he stole the first "free" election in May 1990 by vote-rigging. Clearly Iliescu is doing his utmost to buy the next one, in September, and with money provided by EC taxpayers.

The West should never turn a blind eye to democratic black spots, especially ii Europe. In 1990 the Group of 24 set five conditions for aid: rule of law, respect for human rights, multiparty system, free and fair elections, and economic liberalisation.

Set against these, Romania, unlike every other east/central European state except Serbia, is a pariah.

Astonishingly, the EC last month pledged another Ecu 62 billion in aid. Alan Mayhew, head of the Phare, the EC east/central European unit, described Romania's skin-deep reforms as "extremely impressive".

Brussels' largesse could affest the outcome of the 27 september presidential and parliamentary poll. Certainly the regime gives it maximum publicity on state-controlled radio and TV.

So far, western aid to Romania is a startling Ecu 3,1 billion. Nobody knows where it has gone. The British Foreign Office told me that the EC court of auditors had given it "detailed scrutiny". But the court denies this. As the European Parliament budgetary committee rapporteur, it is my job to probe - and Ishall do so.

The NSF regime still holds hands with China and Cuba. Its links with the old guard in Moskow are well known. It is also suspected of breaking UN sanctions against neighbouring Serbia.

Perhaps diplomats in Brussels think their generosity will bring Romania closer to the EC. It will not: only real democracy can ensure Romania's internal and external stability.

Western aid to Romania is co-ordinated through Brussels. Apart from much-needed humanitarian aid, it is made up of grants and loans from the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the IMF and the 24 OECD countries, which include the 12 EC states. All are pledged to multi-party democracy and free and fair elections.

Where Romania is concerned the West seems to have gone blind.

The opposition in Romania has formed a united democratic convention of 16 groups, from the christian democrats to the ecologists. The convention's reformist manifesto won a third of the vote in February's local election, mostly in the big cities. Only the national liberals are collaborating with the NSF and they have quit the convention. Cynically, they nominated King Michael as their presidential candidate. He turned them down flat.

In its campaign against the NSF, which enjoys the resources of the state, the convention has practically no printing machines, photocopiers, faxes or cars. I visited a typical convention commitee room last month in Sibiu, fief of the loathed dauphin Nicu Ceausescu. It had a telephone, but nothing else. The state controls TV, radio and newspaper distribution. Newspaper printed by the opposition only find their way to the big towns..

The convention's presidential candidate is Emil Costantinescu. As rector of Bucharest University, he encouraged a student sit-in which was brutally broken up by the miners in the spring of 1990. The professo, a quitly determined man unknown to most of Romania's 23 million people, told western politicians thet he has appeared on the TV for just three minutes since his adoption two months ago - at 11.45 at night.

The NSF is relying on full bellies to win, especially in the countryside, boosted by the delivery of 90.000 tons of wheat, enough for 200 millions loaves, all paid for by the EC taxpayer. Meanwhile, the European Bank has announcedit is oiling the wheels with an Ecu 22 million loan to the state petrol company, topped up with Ecu 50 millionfor Romanian agricolture.

Despite the lack of data, European officials told EC foreign ministers in June that Tomania's were alla under way. The ministers were told that 80 per cent of agricoltural land has been returned to private farmers, and that 50 per cent of state-owned homes have been sold to the public.

This is simply not true. The EC is being hoodwinked just as the World Bank was in 1979, when Romania claimed it had a growth rate of nine per cent a year.

The Securitate's estimated 26.000 officiers remain in control, although they are now called the Romanian Information Service. Its division D of 9.000 men are on "special assignements" - black propaganda against the convention's candidates.

In the last resort, the NSF can rely on miners from the Jiu Valley to restore the "rule of law". They have done so twice, and Iliescu has thanked them publicly. Despite their killing, maimings and theft, none has faced trials. Human rights are ignored. Religious groups plead for the return of their places of worship. Gypsies, Hungarians and other minorities are vilified. Iliescu terrorises his country by creating internal enemies.

It is time for western democracies to take a stand. Brussels must make the distinction between Romania and the genuinely reforming countries like Albania and Bulgaria. If not, the European Parliament must block Romanian aid programmes until after the election. With a socialist majority in Strasbourg that may not be easy.