1996 Romanian general election

General elections were held in Romania on 3 November 1996, with a second round of the presidential election on 17 November.<ref name=NS>Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1591 Template:ISBN</ref>

Opinion polls prior to the elections suggested incumbent President Ion Iliescu of the Social Democracy Party of Romania (PDSR, formerly the Democratic National Salvation Front) would win a third term, though it was believed a large field of candidates would push him into a runoff.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Iliescu received the most votes in the first round, just ahead of his 1992 run-off opponent, Emil Constantinescu of the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).

In the second round, Constantinescu defeated Iliescu with 54 percent of the vote. Iliescu conceded defeat soon after the polls closed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Constantinescu took office on 29 November, marking the first peaceful transfer of power since the fall of communism. To date, it is the only time since the introduction of direct presidential elections that an incumbent Romanian president has been defeated when running for re-election. The 1996 Romanian presidential election was the third of its kind held in post-1989 Romania.

The CDR, a broad coalition of parties opposing the governing centre-left PDSR, also emerged as the largest bloc in Parliament, winning 122 of the 343 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 53 of the 143 seats in the Senate.

Presidential candidates

<section begin="candidates" />

Name	Lifespan	Public administration experience	Affiliation and endorsements	Alma mater and profession	Candidacy Template:Small
Template:HsFile:Emil Constantinescu (17-07-1998).jpg Emil Constantinescu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Tighina (de jure, Republic of Moldova; de facto Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)	Rector of University of Bucharest (1992–election day) Former presidential election: 1992: 31.1% (2nd place, 1st round), 38.6% (2nd place, 2nd round)	Affiliation: CDR	Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1960) Faculty of Geology, University of Bucharest (1966) geology professor
Template:HsFile:Ion Iliescu (2004) (cropped).jpg Ion Iliescu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Oltenița, Călărași County	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) Former presidential elections: 1992: 47.2% (1st place, 1st round), 61.4% (winner, 2nd round) 1990: 85.1% (winner)	Affiliation: PDSR	Energy Institute, Moscow State University (1954) fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager
Template:HsFile:Petre Roman.jpg Petre Roman	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Bucharest	Deputy (1990–election day) Prime Minister of Romania (1989–1991)	Affiliation: Social Democratic Union Alliance members: PD and PSDR	Faculty of Energy, Politehnica University of Bucharest (1968) hydroelectric powerplant engineer
Template:HsFile:Frunda György.JPG György Frunda	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Târgu Mureș, Mureș County	Senator (1992–election day)	Affiliation: UDMR	Faculty of Law, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1974) lawyer
Template:HsFile:Corneliu Vadim Tudor - Declaratii la BEC.png Corneliu Vadim Tudor	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Bucharest Died Template:Dts, Bucharest	Senator (1992–election day)	Affiliation: PRM	Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest (1971) journalist, writer
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Gheorghe Funar	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Sânnicolau Mare, Timiș County	Mayor of Cluj-Napoca (1992–election day) Former presidential election: 1992: 10.8% (3rd place, 1st round)	Affiliation: PUNR	Faculty of Economics and Business Management, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (unknown year) economist
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Tudor Mohora	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Bogdana, Teleorman County	Deputy (1992–election day)	Affiliation: Socialist Party	Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest (1974) chemistry teacher
Template:HsFile:Nicolae manolescu color.jpg Nicolae Manolescu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County Died Template:Dts, Bucharest	Senator (1992–election day)	Affiliation: National Liberal Alliance	Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1962) writer, book critic
Template:HsFile:Adrian Păunescu.jpg Adrian Păunescu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Copăceni, Sîngerei District, Republic of Moldova Died Template:Dts, Bucharest	Senator (1992–election day)	Affiliation: PSM	Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1968) poet
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Ioan Pop de Popa	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Oradea, Bihor County	Deputy (1965–1973)	Affiliation: Center National Union	Faculty of Medicine, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1952) cardiologist
Template:HsFile:Blank.png George Muntean	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Bilca, Suceava County		Affiliation: Retirees Party	Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest (1959) historian, journalist
Template:HsFile:Radu Câmpeanu.jpg Radu Câmpeanu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age), Bucharest Died Template:Dts, Bucharest	Former presidential election: 1990: 10.6% (2nd place)	Affiliation: National Liberal-Ecologist Alliance	Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945) Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947) economist
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Nuțu Anghelina	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Buhuși, Bacău County		Affiliation: none	Faculty of Orthodox Theology, unknown university (1986) orthodox priest
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Constantin Mudava	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Ghirdoveni, Dâmbovița County Died Template:Dts, Târgoviște		Affiliation: none	unknown education holistic healer
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Constantin Niculescu	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County		Affiliation: National Party of Motorists	Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov (1960) mechanical engineer
Template:HsFile:Blank.png Nicolae Militaru	Born: Template:Dts (age Template:Age) Bălești, Gorj County Died Template:Dts, Bucharest	Minister of Defence (1989–1990) Deputy Minister for Industrial Constructions (1978–1984) Deputy (1969–1975)	Affiliation: none	Frunze Military Academy, Moscow (unknown year) military

<section end="candidates" />

Results

President

File:Romanian presidential election 1996 - first round.svg

Presidential election – First round

File:Romanian presidential election 1996 - second round.svg

Presidential election – Second round

Petre Roman, György Frunda, Gheorghe Funar, and Nicolae Manolescu openly endorsed Constantinescu in the second round. Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Tudor Mohora, and Adrian Păunescu openly endorsed Iliescu.

• Romanian presidential election 1996 - Iliescu.svg

  Ion Iliescu

• Romanian presidential election 1996 - Constantinescu.svg

  Emil Constantinescu

• Romanian presidential election 1996 - Roman.svg

  Petre Roman

• Romanian presidential election 1996 - Frunda.svg

  György Frunda

• Romanian presidential election 1996 - Vadim.svg

  Corneliu Vadim Tudor

Parliament

Senate

Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) members included the PNȚCD, PNL, PNL–CD (1 senator), PAR (3 senators), PER (1 senator), Ecologist Federation of Romania (FER) (1 senator).

References

{{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}} Template:Ion Iliescu