The Elections From 2000

7/30/2019 The Elections From 2000

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The elections from 2000 have represented ,for sure, a defining moment in the evolution

of the Romanian political system after December 1989.They had the role of a truly litmus

paper ,showing with clarity how the things were really staying in the Romanian political

system in that period besides of the illusions made up by the democratic intellectuality of

Romania in 1990.1

An analysis of the Romanian political system that would respect completely the criterias

of the occidental science of politics wasnt possible ,because of the special context of Romania in

that moment and the new character of thesystem. With other words in the 11 years period of the

Romanian political system, wasnt enough mature to be involved in an analysis like the Arend

Lijphart from Models of the democracy.Lijphart when he analyzed that, he named

democratic systems the ones that have at least twenty years of free elections. 2

At a first sight of the table, the political system it can be seen like a multiparty system

with one dominant party, which ,after we will see further ,that is in some sense true. If we will

compare the results of these elections with the previous ones ,without taking into consideration

the ones in 1990 that fits into a special context, the ones in 1992 and 1996 seemed to suggest the

existence of a multiparty system generated by the proportional electoral system and the list

vote ,but one in which the first two political forces (FDSN and PDSR on one side and CDR on

the other) seemed to have equal weights to alternate each other in power, as happened in 1996,

with other smaller parties but with very significant role, helping to tilt the balance of one side orthe other.

Grand winner remained P.D.S.R. and it was natural to happen. Direct descendant of

P.C.R. , responsible for the realities of Romania after 1989, it was natural that the party knows

best how to handle in this context. Their voters were poor, uneducated, mostly living in small

towns or rural areas, remained relatively constant from 1992 and even by 2008, oscillating

around the figure of 30%.

The elections from 2000 were decisive ,showing that CDR was only a mirage and proved

that PDSR and then PSD was the dominant party in a multiparty system ,which cannot be

competed only by a small parties coalition with reduced chances to form a coherent whole:"For11 years political formation called today PDSR win more votes in national confrontations than

1 Gazeta de Cluj,Vinovatul de serviciu de Florentin Scaletchi2 LIJPHART, Arend- Modele ale democratiei. Forme de guvernare si functionare in 36 de tari,

Traducere de Catalin Constantinescu, Editura Polirom, Iasi 2006


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any other faction considered separately ... P.D.S.R. cannot be defeated only in special

circumstances.3

At the end of 1999 it was obvious that CDR would not have the power to win the general

the general elections of 2000.Because of the lack of unity with the partners of coalition and of

the economic crisis in which Communist Romania was struggling, the popularity of CDR

decreased considerably.

After Emil Constantinescus mandate finished, Constantinescu turned back to the

academically desk, resumed the demarches for the consolidation of the role of civil society and

continued to represent Romania and to improve the countrys image externally. Emil

Constantinescu didnt candidate for a second mandate of president of Romania.

At 26th of November 2000 the parliamentary and presidential elections were held and

they had been a big surprise for everybody(As it can be seen in the table).

At the presidential elections entered in the second tour,programmed in 10 december

2000 ,ion Iliescu and Corneliu Vadim Tudor .

Ion Iliescu and PDSR got benefits from this situation and they got back at power in 2000

with 66,83%. His main opponent was Corneliu Vadim Tudor, the leader of Partidul Romania

Mare, which came up second. In that moment, the majority of the Romanian voters realized that

they have to choose between two evils and they have chosen the lesser one, thus Iliescu.

The results of the elections in 2000

The Deputies Chamber

The total number of the voters according to le electoral lists,according to the electoral lists

according to the localities where they reside 17.699.727

Total number of voters who voted 11.559.458 (65,3%)

Senat

Number of valid votes 10.891.910

Number of canceled voter 667.548 (5,77% / 3,77%

3 Stefan-Scalat, Laurentiu-Fantoma lui Radu Campeanu, Revista Sfera politicii, nr. 87-88, 2001


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Number of votes Percentage Percantage of mandates

1.PDSR 4. 040. 212 37,09% 65 46,43%

2.PRM 2. 288. 483 21,01% 37 26,43%

3.PD 825. 437 7, 58% 13 9,29%

4.PNL 814. 381 7,48% 13 9,29%

5.UDMR 751. 310 6,90% 12 8,57%

6.CDR 2000 575. 706 5,59% 0

7.APR 465. 535 4,27%

8.PAN (PUNR PNR) 154. 761 1,42%

9.PNL-C 133. 018 1,22%

Total of mandates 140

The Chamber of Deputies

Number of valid votesc 10.839.424

Number of canceled votes 720.034 (6,22% / 4,06%

Number votes Percentage Mandates Percentage mandates

1.PDSR 3. 968. 464 36,61% 155 44,93%

2.PRM 2. 112. 027 19,48% 84 24,35%3.PD 762. 365 7,03% 31 8,99%

4.PNL 747. 263 6,89% 30 8,70%

5.UDMR 736. 863 6,80% 27 7,83%

6.CDR-2000 546. 135 5,04% 0

7.APR 441. 228 4,07%

8.PNL-C 151. 518 1,40%

9.PAN (PUNR PNR) 149. 525 1,38%

10.Indepenendent candidates 137. 561 1,27%

Minorities 18

Total mandates 345


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The result of the presidential election

First tour 26 november 2000

Nomber votes Percentage

1.Ion Iliescu 4. 076. 273 36,35%

2.Corneliu Vadim Tudor 3. 178. 293 28,34%

3.Theodor Dumitru Stolojan 1. 321. 420 11,78%

4.Constantin Mugurel Isarescu 1. 069. 463 9, 54%

5.Gyorgy Frunda 696. 989 6,22%

6.Petre Roman 334. 852 2,99%

7.Teodor Viorel Melescanu 214. 642 1,91%

8.Gheorghe Eduard Manole 133. 991 1,19%

9.Gratiela Elena Birla 61. 455 0,55%

10.Paul Philippe Hohenzollern 55. 238 0,49%

11.Ion Sasu 38. 375 0,34%

12.Nicolae Cerveni 31. 983 0,29%

The second tour 10 december 2000

The total number of citizens from the electoral lists: 17.711.757

Total number of votesrs who voted: 10.184.715 (57,5%)

1. Ion Iliescu 6. 696. 623 66,83%

2. Corneliu Vadim Tudor 3. 324. 274 33,17%

Documents

The Elections From 2000