General elections were held in Romania on 3 November 1996, with a second round of the presidential election on 17 November.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1591
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. 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. 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
Name Lifespan Public administration experience Affiliation and endorsements Alma mater and profession Candidacy Emil ConstantinescuBorn: (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: CDRFaculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1960)Faculty of Geology, University of Bucharest (1966)geology professorIon IliescuBorn: (age )Oltenița, Călărași CountyDied , BucharestPresident 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: PDSREnergy Institute, Moscow State University (1954)fluid mechanics engineer,publishing house managerPetre RomanBorn: (age )BucharestDeputy (1990–election day)Prime Minister of Romania (1989–1991)Affiliation: Social Democratic UnionAlliance members: PD and PSDRFaculty of Energy, Politehnica University of Bucharest (1968)hydroelectric powerplant engineerGyörgy FrundaBorn: (age )Târgu Mureș, Mureș CountySenator (1992–election day)Affiliation: UDMRFaculty of Law, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1974)lawyerCorneliu Vadim TudorBorn: (age )BucharestDied , BucharestSenator (1992–election day)Affiliation: PRMFaculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest (1971)journalist, writerGheorghe FunarBorn: (age )Sânnicolau Mare, Timiș CountyMayor of Cluj-Napoca (1992–election day)Former presidential election:1992: 10.8% (3rd place, 1st round)Affiliation: PUNRFaculty of Economics and Business Management, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (unknown year)economistTudor MohoraBorn: (age )Bogdana, Teleorman CountyDeputy (1992–election day)Affiliation: Socialist PartyFaculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest (1974)chemistry teacherNicolae ManolescuBorn: (age )Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea CountyDied , BucharestSenator (1992–election day)Affiliation: National Liberal AllianceFaculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1962)writer, literary criticAdrian PăunescuBorn: (age )Copăceni, Sîngerei District, Republic of MoldovaDied , BucharestSenator (1992–election day)Affiliation: PSMFaculty of Philology, University of Bucharest (1968)poetIoan Pop de PopaBorn: (age )Oradea, Bihor CountyDied , OradeaDeputy (1965–1973)Affiliation: Center National UnionFaculty of Medicine, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1952)cardiologistGeorge MunteanBorn: (age )Bilca, Suceava CountyDied , BucharestAffiliation: Pensioners Party of RomaniaFaculty of Letters, University of Bucharest (1959)historian, journalistRadu CâmpeanuBorn: (age ), BucharestDied , BucharestFormer presidential election:1990: 10.6% (2nd place)Affiliation: National Liberal-Ecologist AllianceFaculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1945)Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Bucharest (1947)economistNuțu AnghelinaBorn: (age )Buhuși, Bacău County Died, BucharestAffiliation: noneFaculty of Orthodox Theology, unknown university (1986)orthodox priestConstantin MudavaBorn: (age )Ghirdoveni, Dâmbovița CountyDied , TârgovișteAffiliation: noneunknown educationholistic healerConstantin NiculescuBorn: (age )Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County Died , BucharestPresident of Romanian Automobile Club (1994–election day)Affiliation: National Party of MotoristsFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transilvania University of Brașov (1960)mechanical engineerNicolae MilitaruBorn: (age )Bălești, Gorj CountyDied , BucharestMinister of Defence (1989–1990)Deputy Minister for Industrial Constructions (1978–1984)Deputy (1969–1975)Affiliation: noneFrunze Military Academy, Moscow (unknown year)military
Results President
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.
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).
Chamber of Deputies
Notes
References