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.
Opinion polls prior to the elections suggested incumbent President Ion Iliescu of the Social Democracy Party of Romania would win a third term, though it was believed a large field of candidates would push him into a runoff. Iliescu received the most votes in the first round, just ahead of his 1992 runoff opponent, Emil Constantinescu of the Romanian Democratic Convention. In the second round, Constantinescu defeated Iliescu with 54 percent of the vote. Iliescu conceded defeat soon after the polls closed. 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 president has been defeated when running for re-election.
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
| Name | Lifespan | Public Administration Experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession | Candidacy Announcement dates |
Emil Constantinescu | Born: 19 11 1939 Tighina | Rector of University of Bucharest Former presidential election: 1992: 31.1%, 38.6% | Affiliation: CDR | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest Faculty of Geology, University of Bucharest geology professor | |
Ion Iliescu | Born: 3 03 1930 Oltenița, Călărași County | President of Romania President of Water Surfaces Management Council Member of the State Council President of Iași County Council Vice-President of Timiș County Council Minister of Youth Deputy Former presidential elections: 1992: 47.2%, 61.4% 1990: 85.1% | Affiliation: PDSR | Energy Institute, Moscow State University fluid mechanics engineer, publishing house manager | |
Petre Roman | Born: 22 7 1946 Bucharest | Deputy Prime Minister of Romania | Affiliation: National Salvation Front Alliance members: PD and PSDR | Faculty of Energy, Politehnica University of Bucharest hydroelectric powerplant engineer | |
György Frunda | Born: 22 7 1951 Târgu Mureș, Mureș County | Senator | Affiliation: UDMR | Faculty of Law, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca lawyer | |
Corneliu Vadim Tudor | Born: 28 11 1949 Bucharest Died 14 9 2015, Bucharest | Senator | Affiliation: PRM | Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest journalist, writer | |
Gheorghe Funar | Born: 29 9 1949 Sânnicolau Mare, Timiș County | Mayor of Cluj-Napoca Former presidential election: 1992: 10.8% | Affiliation: PUNR | Faculty of Economics and Business Management, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca economist | |
:ro:Tudor Mohora|Tudor Mohora | Born: 6 10 1950 :ro:Bogdana, Teleorman|Bogdana, Teleorman County | Deputy | Affiliation: Socialist Party | Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest chemistry teacher | |
Nicolae Manolescu | Born: 27 11 1939 Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County | Senator | Affiliation: National Liberal Alliance | Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest writer, book critic | |
Adrian Păunescu | Born: 20 7 1943 Copăceni, Sîngerei District, Republic of Moldova Died 5 10 2010, Bucharest | Senator | Affiliation: PSM | Faculty of Philology, University of Bucharest poet | |
:ro:Ioan Pop de Popa|Ioan Pop de Popa | Born: 6 10 1927 Oradea, Bihor County | Deputy | Affiliation: Center National Union | Faculty of Medicine, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca cardiologist | |
:ro:George Muntean|George Muntean | Born: 17 11 1932 Bilca, Suceava County | Affiliation: Retirees Party | Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest historian, journalist | ||
Radu Câmpeanu | Born: 28 2 1922 , Bucharest Died 19 10 2016, Bucharest | Former presidential election: 1990: 10.6% | Affiliation: National Liberal-Ecologist Alliance | Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest economist | |
:ro:Nuțu Anghelina|Nuțu Anghelina | Born: 16 4 1956 Buhuși, Bacău County | Affiliation: none | Faculty of Orthodox Theology, unknown university orthodox priest | ||
Constantin Mudava | Born: 8 04 1935 Ghirdoveni, Dâmbovița County Died 1 11 2018, Târgoviște | Affiliation: none | unknown education holistic healer | ||
Constantin Niculescu | Born: 18 5 1940 Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County | Affiliation: National Party of Motorists | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov mechanical engineer | ||
Nicolae Militaru | Born: 10 11 1925 Bălești, Gorj County Died 27 12 1996, Bucharest | Minister of Defence Deputy Minister for Industrial Constructions Deputy | Affiliation: none | Frunze Military Academy, Moscow military |
Results
President
Petre Roman, Gyorgy Frunda, Gheorghe Funar and Nicolae Manolescu openly endorsed Emil Constantinescu in the second round. Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Tudor Mohora and Adrian Păunescu openly endorsed Ion Iliescu.Parliament
Senate
Romanian Democratic Convention members: PNȚCD, PNL, :ro:Partidul Național Liberal-Convenția Democrată|PNL-CD, :ro:Uniunea Forțelor de Dreapta|PAR, PER, Ecologist Federation of Romania .Social-Democratic Union was formed by PD and PSDR.
Chamber of Deputies
Romanian Democratic Convention members: PNȚCD, PNL, :ro:Partidul Național Liberal-Convenția Democrată|PNL-CD, :ro:Uniunea Forțelor de Dreapta|PAR, PER, Ecologist Federation of Romania .The Social Democratic Union was an alliance between the Romanian Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Party.