At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Romania

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Emil CONSTANTINESCU
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Mugur ISARESCU
• Assembly: Romania has a bicameral Parliament (Parlament) consisting of the Senate (Senat) with 143 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor) with 343 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Senate (Senat) 143 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms. In the Chamber of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor) 343 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

• Ion ILIESCU
  • Party: Party of Social Democracy of Romania - Social Democratic Party / Partidul Democraţiei Sociale din Romania - Partidul Social-Democrat din Romania (PDSR - PSDR)
• Corneliu VADIM TUDOR
  • Party: Great Romania Party / Partidul Romania Mare (PRM)

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Ion ILIESCU
  • Party: Party of Social Democracy of Romania - Social Democratic Party / Partidul Democraţiei Sociale din Romania - Partidul Social-Democrat din Romania (PDSR - PSDR)
• Corneliu VADIM TUDOR
  • Party: Great Romania Party / Partidul Romania Mare (PRM)
• Theodor STOLOJAN
  • Party: National Liberal Party / Partidul National Liberal (PNL)
• Mugur ISARESCU
  • Party: Independent Candidate
• Gyorgy FRUNDA
  • Party: Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania / Uniunea Democrata a Maghiarilor din Romania (UDMR)
• Petre ROMAN
  • Party: Democratic Party / Partidul Democrat (PD)
• Teodor MELESCANU
  • Party: Alliance for Romania / Alianta pentru Romania (APR)
• Other Candidates
  • Party: N/A

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on November 3, 1996 and November 17, 1996. President Emil CONSTANTINESCU received 54.41% of the runoff vote, thereby defeating Ion ILIESCU who received 45.59%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 22,442,971 (2000)
• Registered Voters: 17,699,727 (2000)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 11,463,767 (2000)

·         Is Romania a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (4 September 1980)

·         Has Romania ratified CEDAW: Yes (7 January 1982)

·         Gender Quota: No (there are some political parties that have adopted voluntary quotas)

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 37 (House of Deputies); 11 (Senate) following the 2000 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 52 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Romania a signatory to CRPD: Yes (26 September 2007)

·         Has Romania ratified CRPD: Yes (31 January 2011)

·         Population with a disability: 3,366,445 (est.)