1990 Romanian general election explained

Country:

Romania

Election Date:

20 May 1990

Module:

Embed:

yes

Election Name:

Presidential election

Type:

Presidential

Previous Election:

1985 Romanian presidential election

Previous Year:

1985

Next Election:

1992 Romanian general election

Next Year:

1992

Image1:

Ion Iliescu (2004).jpg

Nominee1:

Ion Iliescu

Party1:

National Salvation Front (Romania)

Popular Vote1:

12,232,498

Percentage1:

85.07%

Nominee2:

Radu Câmpeanu

Party2:

National Liberal Party (Romania)

Popular Vote2:

1,529,188

Percentage2:

10.64%

Image3:

Ion Ratiu.jpg

Nominee3:

Ion Rațiu

Party3:

Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party

Popular Vote3:

617,007

Percentage3:

4.29%

Before Election:

After Election:

Before Party:

After Party:

Module:

Embed:

yes

Election Name:

Assembly of Deputies

Previous Election:

1985

Next Election:

1992

First Election:

yes

Seats For Election:

All 396 seats in the Assembly of Deputies

Party1:

National Salvation Front (Romania)

Leader1:

Ion Iliescu

Percentage1:

66.31

Seats1:

263

Party2:

Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania

Leader2:

Géza Domokos

Percentage2:

7.23

Seats2:

Party3:

National Liberal Party (Romania)

Leader3:

Radu Câmpeanu

Percentage3:

6.41

Seats3:

Party4:

Ecological Movement of Romania

Leader4:

Toma George Maiorescu

Percentage4:

2.62

Seats4:

Party5:

Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party

Leader5:

Corneliu Coposu

Percentage5:

2.56

Seats5:

Party6:

Alliance for Romanian Unity

Percentage6:

2.12

Seats6:

Party7:

Democratic Agrarian Party of Romania

Leader7:

Victor Surdu

Percentage7:

1.83

Seats7:

Party8:

Ecologist Party of Romania

Leader8:

Otto Weber

Percentage8:

1.69

Seats8:

Party9:

Romanian Socialist Democratic Party

Leader9:

Cornel Nica

Percentage9:

1.05

Seats9:

Party10:

Romanian Social Democratic Party (1990–2001)

Leader10:

Sergiu Cunescu

Percentage10:

0.53

Seats10:

Party11:

Democratic Group of the Centre

Percentage11:

0.48

Seats11:

Party12:

Democratic Party of Labour

Percentage12:

0.38

Seats12:

Party13:

Party of Free Change

Leader13:

Ștefan Cazimir

Percentage13:

0.34

Seats13:

Party14:

National Reconstruction Party of Romania

Percentage14:

0.32

Seats14:

Party15:

Party of Young Free Democrats of Romania

Percentage15:

0.32

Seats15:

Party16:

Liberal Union–Brătianu

Percentage16:

0.27

Seats16:

Party17:

Minority parties

Percentage17:

0.99

Seats17:

Map:

1990 Romanian Chamber of Deputies election.svg

Module:

Embed:	yes
Election Name:	Senate
Next Election:	1992
First Election:	yes
Seats For Election:	All 119 seats in the Senate
Party1:	National Salvation Front (Romania)
Leader1:	Ion Iliescu
Percentage1:	67.02
Seats1:	91
Party19:	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania
Percentage19:	7.20
Seats19:	12
Leader19:	Géza Domokos
Party20:	National Liberal Party (Romania)
Leader20:	Radu Câmpeanu
Percentage20:	7.06
Seats20:	10
Party21:	Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party
Leader21:	Corneliu Coposu
Seats21:	1
Percentage21:	2.50
Party22:	Ecological Movement of Romania
Leader22:	Toma George Maiorescu
Seats22:	1
Percentage22:	2.45
Party23:	Alliance for Romanian Unity
Seats23:	2
Percentage23:	2.15
Party24:	Ecologist Party of Romania
Leader24:	Otto Weber
Seats24:	1
Percentage24:	1.38
Party25:	Independents
Seats25:	1
Leader25:	Antonie Iorgovan
Percentage25:	3.06
Map:	1990 Romanian Senate election.svg
Prime Minister
Posttitle:	Prime Minister-designate
Before Election:	Petre Roman
After Election:	Petre Roman
Before Party:	National Salvation Front (Romania)
After Party:	National Salvation Front (Romania)

General elections were held in Romania on 20 May 1990 to elect the President and members of Parliament.^[1] They were the first elections held after the overthrow of the communist regime six months earlier and the first free elections held in the country since 1937.^[2] It was also the first time the president had been directly elected,^[1] the position having been previously elected by the legislature since it was introduced in 1974.^[3]

The National Salvation Front (FSN), which had headed the interim government that took power after the overthrow of Nicolae Ceaușescu, won a decisive victory. Opposition parties performed well below expectations; none of them had the time or resources to present themselves as alternatives to the FSN.^[4] Interim President and FSN leader Ion Iliescu was elected for a full term with 85 percent of the vote. The 1990 Romanian presidential election was the first of its kind held in post-1989 Romania. The FSN also won large majorities in both houses of Parliament, with 263 of the 395 seats in the Assembly of Deputies and 91 of the 118 seats in the Senate.

The United States State Department expressed concerns about organised violence and polling irregularities, but concluded that they had had no effect on the outcome and pronounced the elections free and fair.^[5]

To date, this is the only time since direct presidential elections were introduced that a president has been elected without the need for a runoff. Iliescu's 85 percent vote share also remains the highest for a direct presidential election.

Presidential candidates

Name	Lifespan	Public Administration Experience	Affiliation and endorsements	Alma mater and profession	Candidacy
Ion Iliescu	Born: (age) Oltenița, Călărași County	Acting President of Romania: 1989–election day President of Water Surfaces Management Council (1979–1984) Member of the State Council (full member: 1979–1980, observative: 1974–1979) President of Iași County Council (1974–1979) Vice-president of Timiș County Council (1971–1974) Minister of Youth (1967–1971) Deputy (1957–1961, 1965–1973, 1975–1985)	Affiliation: FSN	Energy Institute, Moscow State University (1954) fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager	Official: ^[6] BEC filing: ^[7]
Radu Câmpeanu	Born: (age) Bucharest Died, Bucharest		Affiliation: PNL Endorsed by UDMR and PER	Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945) Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947) economist	BEC filing: ^[8]
Ion Rațiu	Born: (age) Turda, Cluj County Died:, London	Chancellor at Romanian Embassy in UK (1940)	Affiliation: PNȚCD Endorsed by: PSDR	Faculty of Law, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1938) Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge (1943) lawyer, economist, journalist	Official: ^[9] BEC filing:

Results

Parliament

Assembly of Deputies

Notes and References

[Dieter Nohlen]
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-03-30/news/9001260242_1_communists-national-salvation-front-nicolae-ceausescu Romanians Hope Free Elections Mark Revolution's Next Stage
http://countrystudies.us/romania/66.htm Romania: Central Government
News: Front In Romania Seems Victorious In Free Elections. The New York Times. 21 May 1990.
News: Romanian Election Is Valid Despite Flaws, U.S. Declares. The New York Times. 26 May 1990.
Web site: Stiri.tvr.ro - Site-ul de stiri al TVR. Stiri.tvr.ro.
Web site: 17 aprilie 1990, data la care a fost depusă prima candidatură la alegerile prezidențiale din România după căderea lui Nicolae Ceaușescu. April 17, 2019. Europa FM.
Web site: Radu Câmpeanu, campanie mai mult afară decât în ţară. jurnalul.ro.
Web site: Ion Raţiu – candidatul ţărănist la Preşedinţie. jurnalul.ro.