Romania: Government
The World Factbook 1993: Romania Government Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Romania local long form: none local short form: Romania

Digraph: RO

Type: republic

Capital: Bucharest

Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence: 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)

Constitution: 8 December 1991

Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory that increasingly reflected Romanian traditions is being revised

National holiday: National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)

Political parties and leaders: National Salvation Front (FSN), Petre ROMAN; Democratic National Salvation Front (DNSF), Oliviu GHERMAN; Magyar Democratic Union (UDMR), Geza DOMOKOS; National Liberal Party (PNL), Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS; National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party (PNTCD), Corneliu COPOSU; Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR), Gheorghe FUNAR; Socialist Labor Party (PSM), Ilie VERDET; Agrarian Democratic Party of Romania (PDAR), Victor SURDU; The Democratic Convention (CDR), Emil CONSTANTINESCU; Romania Mare Party (PRM), Corneliu Vadim TUDOR

note: there are dozens of smaller parties; although the Communist Party has ceased to exist, small proto-Communist parties, notably the Socialist Labor Party, have been formed

Other political or pressure groups: various human right and professional associations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Elections:

President: last held 27 September 1992 - with runoff between top two candidates on 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Ion ILIESCU 61.4%, Emil CONSTANTINESCU 38.6%

Senate: last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1998); results - DFSN 27.5%, CDR 22.5%, FSN 11%, others 39%; seats - (143 total) DFSN 49, CDR 34, FSN 18, PUNR 14, UDMR 12, PRM 6, PDAR 5, PSM 5

House of Deputies: last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1998); results - DFSN 27.5%, CDR 22.5%, FSN 11%, others 38.5%; seats - (341 total) DFSN 117, CDR 82, FSN 43, PUNR 30, UDMR 27, PRM 16, PSM 13, other 13

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court

Leaders:

Chief of State: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990, previously President of Provisional Council of National Unity since 23 December 1989)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Nicolae VACAROIU (since November 1992)

Member of: BIS, BSEC, CCC, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aurel-Dragos MUNTEANU chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 232-4747, 6634, 5693 FAX: (202) 232-4748 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John R. DAVIS, Jr. embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address: AmConGen (Buch), Unit 25402, APO AE 09213-5260 telephone: [40] (0) 10-40-40 FAX: [40] (0) 12-03-95

Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad