At stake in this election:

• 140 seats in the Senate (Senat)

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 140 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor) with 327 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Senate (Senat) 140 members are elected by popular vote via proportional representation to serve 4-year terms. In the Chamber of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor) 327 members are elected by popular vote via proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Bloc: Party of Social Democracy of Romania - Social Democratic Party (PDSR - PSDR)
  • Leader: Ion ILIESCU and Alexandru ATHANASIU
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 65
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 47
• Party: 'Romania Mare' Party (PRM)
  • Leader: Corneliu VADIM TUDOR
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 37
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 8
• Party: Democratic Party (PD)
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 13
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
• Party: National Liberal Party (PNL)
  • Leader: Mircea Ionescu QUINTUS and Valeriu STOICA
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 13
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 22
• Party: Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)
  • Leader: Bel MARK
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 12
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 11
• Party: Other parties
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• The last parliamentary election was held on November 3, 1996; 143 seats were decided in the Senate and 343 in the Chamber of Deputies.

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.)