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Ion Iliescu (born March 3, 1930) is a Romanian politician. He was the President of Romania for eleven years, from 1990 to 1996, and 2000 to 2004. His presidency was interrupted by Emil Constantinescu, and his successor after the final term is the former Democratic Party leader Traian Băsescu. Currently, Iliescu is Senator for the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which is one of several parties formed by the breakup of the National Salvation Front, and which remains the largest single political party in Romania. March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... OlteniÅ£a (pronounced: ol-teh-neetzah) is a town in Romania on the left bank of the ArgeÅŸ river; its waters reach the Danube through a network of streams, marshes and meres. ... Hydrology is the study of the occurrence, distribution, and movement of water on, in, and above the earth. ... Political parties in Romania lists political parties in Romania. ... The Social Democratic Party of Romania (in Romanian, Partidul Social Democrat, PSD) is a major political party of Romania. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This is a list of Presidents of Romania: Note: The official function of President of Romania did not exist until March 1974. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Democratic Party (Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD) is a centre-right (formerly social democrat) party of Romania. ... Traian Băsescu (born November 4, 1951) is a Romanian politician. ... The Senate of Romania (Romanian: Senat) is the upper house in Romanias bicameral parliament. ... The National Salvation Front (in Romanian, Frontul Salvării NaÅ£ionale, FSN) was the governing body of Romania in the first weeks after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, subsequently turned into a political party. ...

Iliescu is often accused by political opponents of having communist convictions and allegiances and tolerating corruption in the PSD (when he was a party leader) and the administration (when he was a president). At the same time, Ion Iliescu is widely recognized as the predominant figure in the first fifteen years of post-1989 Romanian Revolution politics. During his terms Romanian politics stabilized, and Romania joined NATO. (Redirected from 1989 Romanian Revolution) People on the streets of Bucharest The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and protests in late December of 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ...

In 2005 investigations began that could eventually lead to Iliescu's trial on a number of charges, including crimes against humanity(this charge was introduced because is the only charge without prescription; could be a clear sign of political vengeance ), related to the considerable abuses of power he allegedly committed during the years 1989-1990, especially during the Romanian Revolution and the violent Miner's Riots of the early and mid-1990's. Supporters of Iliescu and Iliescu himself claim that the investigations are an instrument of political vengeance of the current political power. This article is in need of attention. ... ‹The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mineriad (Mineriada in Romanian) is a parody term following the names of classic events like the Olympics (Olimpiada in Romanian) or the Crusades (Cruciada in Romanian) representing a gathering of people with a usually honourable goal. ...

Family background

His father, Alexandru Iliescu, was a railroad worker with Communist views back in the days when the Romanian Communist Party was banned by the authorities. In 1931, he went to the Soviet Union to take part in the Communist Party Congress of Gorikovo, near Moscow. He remained in the Soviet state for the next four years and was arrested upon his return, dying in prison in 1945. Alexandru Iliescu had divorced and married with Mariţa, a chambermaid. A questionable source (mentioned in the discussion page) states that Ion Iliescu has a second given name "Ilici", due to the communist opinions of his father. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... The Romanian Communist Party (Romanian: Partidul Comunist Român) was a Communist political party in Romania until 1989. ... The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Коммунисти́ческая Па́ртия Сове́тского Сою́за = КПСС) was the name used by the successors of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party from 1952 to 1991, but the wording Communist Party was present in the partys name since 1918 when the Bolsheviks became the All... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: ) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ... A chambermaid is a maid who cleans and cares for bedrooms. ...

Early life

1965 political poster

Born in Olteniţa, Iliescu studied electrical engineering at the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute and then as a foreign student at the Energy Institute of the Moscow University. Image File history File links Ion_Iliescu_1965_poster. ... Image File history File links Ion_Iliescu_1965_poster. ... OlteniÅ£a (pronounced: ol-teh-neetzah) is a town in Romania on the left bank of the ArgeÅŸ river; its waters reach the Danube through a network of streams, marshes and meres. ... This article treats electronics engineering as a subfield of electrical engineering, though this is not typical use in some areas. ... Categories: Romania-related stubs | Bucharest | Universities in Romania ... Moscow State University campus M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Московский Государственный Университет имени М.В.Ломоносова, often abbreviated МГУ, MSU, MGU) is considered the oldest university in Russia, founded in 1755. ...

During his stay in Moscow it is alleged that he knew Mikhail Gorbachev, although Iliescu always denied this. Ceauşescu however, probably believed a connection between the two existed, since during Gorbachev's visit to Romania in July 1989, Iliescu was sent outside of Bucharest in order to prevent any contact.^[1] (Russian: , IPA: , commonly anglicized as Gorbachev; born March 2, 1931) was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ...

He joined the Uniunea Tineretului Comunist (UTC - Union of Communist Youth) in 1944, he joined the Communist Party in 1953 and made a career in the Communist nomenklatura, becoming a secretary of the Central Committee of the Union of Communist Youth in 1956, and a member of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party in 1965. He served as Minister for Youth-related Issues between 1967 and 1971. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 16th Central Committee meeting of the Communist Party of China Central Committee most commonly refers to the central executive unit of a communist party, whether ruling or non-ruling. ... The Romanian Communist Party (Romanian: Partidul Comunist Român) was a Communist political party in Romania until 1989. ...

However, in 1971, he was marginalized by Nicolae Ceauşescu and removed from all political offices, being assigned that of vice-president of the Timiş County Council (1971-1974), and then president of the Iaşi one (1974-1979). In 1984, he was excluded from the Central Committee, and until 1989 he was in charge of Editura Tehnică publishing house. Nicolae CeauÅŸescu (IPA ) (January 26, 1918 - December 25, 1989) was the leader of Communist Romania from 1965 until shortly before his execution. ... TimiÅŸ (Hungarian: Temes) is a county (judeÅ£) in Western Romania, in Western Transylvania - Banat region, with the capital city at TimiÅŸoara (population: 305,977 as of 2004). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Administrative map of Romania with IaÅŸi county highlighted IaÅŸi is a Romanian county (judeÅ£) in the Moldavia region, with the capital city at IaÅŸi. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...

After the 1989 Revolution

Iliescu was the main figure of the period immediately following the Revolution that overthrew Nicolae Ceauşescu in December 1989, as well as the main person to benefit from it, as his leadership was quickly aknowledged within the inner circle of revolutionary leaders. (Redirected from 1989 Romanian Revolution) People on the streets of Bucharest The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and protests in late December of 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. ... Nicolae CeauÅŸescu (IPA ) (January 26, 1918 - December 25, 1989) was the leader of Communist Romania from 1965 until shortly before his execution. ...

As the leader of the provisional authority, Iliescu declared that he wished for Romania to become an original democracy. This is widely held to have meant the adoption of Perestroika-style reforms rather than the complete removal of existing institutions; it can be linked to the warm reception the new regime was given in Mikhail Gorbachev and the rest of the Soviet leadership, and the fact that the first post-revolutionary international agreement signed by Romania was with that country. In later yers, he amended and further explained this initially vague statement by expressing his distrust for the clear, no in between choice of Capitalism versus Socialism, evoking the possibility of a Swedish model (most likely, a reference to large-scale state ownership). Poster showing Mikhail Gorbachev Perestroika ( , Russian: ) is the Russian word (which passed into English) for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ...

The National Salvation Front (FSN: Frontul Salvării Naţionale) was originally meant to be organizing the free legislative elections on 20 May 1990, and afterward disband itself - however, it eventually ran in the elections, which it won with over 70% of the votes. The National Salvation Front (in Romanian, Frontul Salvării NaÅ£ionale, FSN) was the governing body of Romania in the first weeks after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, subsequently turned into a political party. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ...

Iliescu during the revolution

Iliescu and George W. Bush

As a founding member, Iliescu followed the Front in its new avatars: the NSDF (National Salvation Democratic Front), then the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), then the Social Democratic Party (PSD) (see Social Democratic Party of Romania). Progresively, the Front lost its character as a national government or generic coalition, and became vulnerable to criticism for using its appeal as the first institution involved in power sharing, while enganging itself in political battles with forces that could not enjoy this artificial status (nor the credibility). Iliescu himself came to be seen as hostile to a proper civic society, and more committed to a revised version of democratic centralism. Image File history File links Petre Roman and Ion Iliescu - National Salvation Front In the back, with a beard, Adrian Sirbu, cameraman for the Ceausescu trial and execution and now boss of MediaPro media empire. ... Image File history File links Petre Roman and Ion Iliescu - National Salvation Front In the back, with a beard, Adrian Sirbu, cameraman for the Ceausescu trial and execution and now boss of MediaPro media empire. ... http://www. ... http://www. ... The Social Democratic Party of Romania (Partidul Social Democrat or PSD) is the governing party of Romania. ... National governments or national unity governments are broad coalition governments consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature and are often formed during times of war or national emergency. ... Civil society or civil institutions refers to the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations or institutions which form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force backed structures of a state (regardless of that states political system). ... Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. ...

Under the pressure of the events that led to the Mineriads, his political stance has veered with time: from a proponent of the Perestroika, Iliescu became a neophyte social democrat, alligning himself with the Western European political spectrum. The main debate around the subject of his commitment to such ideals is linked to the special conditions in Romania, and especially to the strong nationalist and autarkic attitude visible within the Ceauşescu regime. Most critics have pointed out that, unlike most communist-to-social democrat changes in the Eastern bloc, Romania's tended to retain various cornerstones (sometimes expressed with scandalous traits - to the Mineriads themselves can be added the slogan of Iliescu supporters in the early 1990s, Noi nu ne vindem ţara! - "We will not sell off our country!"). The Mineriad (Mineriada in Romanian) is a parody term following the names of classic events like the Olympics (Olimpiada in Romanian) or the Crusades (Cruciada in Romanian) representing a gathering of people with a usually honourable goal. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate... A map of the Eastern Bloc. ...

The new Constitution was adopted in 1991, and in 1992 he won a second term when he received 61% of the vote. According to Romanian political analysts such as Daniel Barbu or Dan Pavel, his election was based almost exclusively on the rural population and disoriented lower class industrial workers, controlled through manipulation from the state-controlled media (Televiziunea Română, the state television, was the only widescale TV channel until 1993). He ran for a third time in 1996 but, stripped of media monopoly, that of virtually all urban citizens and even of some traditional votes, he lost to Emil Constantinescu. Over 1,000,000 votes were cancelled, leading to accusations of wide-spread fraud. TVR Televiziunea Română (more commonly referred to as TVR) is the national state-owned public service television broadcaster of Romania, which operates four channels: TVR 1, TVR 2, TVR Cultural and TVR International, along with regional channels in Cluj-Napoca, IaÅŸi, TimiÅŸoara and Craiova. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In the 2000 presidential election Iliescu ran again and won in the run-off against the ultra-nationalist Corneliu Vadim Tudor. He began his third term on December 20 of that year, ending on 20 December 2004. The center-right was severely defeated during the 2000 elections due largely to public dissatisfaction with the harsh economic reforms of the previous four years as well as the and political instabilty and infighting of the multiparty coalition. Tudor's extreme views also ensured that most urban voters either abstained or chose Iliescu. These are the results of the Romanian presidential election of 2000: Results First round Run-off See also Romanian legislative election, 2000 Categories: Elections in Romania ... Corneliu Vadim Tudor as a symbol of the Greater Romania Party on a 2004 campaign poster. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the PSD elections of 21 April 2005, Iliescu lost the Party presidency to Mircea Geoană. April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mircea Geoană Mircea Dan Geoană (born July 14, 1958 in Bucharest) is a Romanian politican. ...

Controversies

Mineriads

He was responsible for calling the miners of Jiu Valley to Bucharest on 28 January and June 14, 1990 to end the non-violent protests against the ex-communist leaders of Romania (the Golaniad). This ended in violence, as the miners armed with clubs attack the protesters and trashed the Bucharest University, various museums and the headquarters of opposition parties, claiming to have discovered them as havens of decadence and immorality - drugs, false currency printing machines and firearms they had claimed as evidence later proved to either non-existent, or (according to case) black and white xerox machines, and compressed air rifles used for target practice. The miners' violence left at least 6 dead (some sources have claimed figures varying between 200 and 300), with at least 5000 injured. Miners shouted slogans such as Moarte intelectualilor! ("Death to intellectuals") or Noi muncim, nu gândim ("We are the workers, not the thinkers" - implying legitimacy). There is no fundament to the reasons cited by them: "ending anarchy and securing the ideals of the Revolution" , "destroying Fascist elements" - a reference to coups planned by Iron Guard or Ion Antonescu sympathisers, ones that had been alleged by Iliescu himself on several occasions. The overwhelming majority of Iliescu's adversaries had been committed to democracy, all were organized, peaceful, and on the brink of disbanding their unitary protest (for several reasons, the most obvious of them being the students' exam session), while their main demand had been minimalistic and seen as a logical outcome of the previous Revolution: ousting all neo-communists from power. The Mineriad (Mineriada in Romanian) is a parody term following the names of classic events like the Olympics (Olimpiada in Romanian) or the Crusades (Cruciada in Romanian) representing a gathering of people with a usually honourable goal. ... The Jiu Valley is the a region of South-Western Romania, in Hunedoara county where the Jiu river is flowing. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... An anti-communist rally in the University Square of Bucharest, 1990 The Golaniad (Romanian: Golaniada) was a protest in Romania in the University Square, Bucharest. ... University of Bucharest is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former St. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Stamp bearing the symbol of the Iron Guard The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given in English to an ultra-nationalist anti-Semitic, fascist movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. Originally founded by Corneliu Zelea... Ion Antonescu. ...

Iliescu later thanked the miners:

I thank you [miners] for all you've done these past few days, in general for your attitude of high civic conscience.

He expanded on this, declaring a right-wing liberal neo-fascist international conspiracy to have attempted the usurping of legitimate power and the destruction of the progressive left within Romania.

According to his lawyer and the military prosecutor Voinea, Ion Iliescu has been recently placed under criminal law investigation (the official term for prosecution) with regard to the events that occurred in June, 1990 in Bucharest. If convicted on all charges (that include crimes against humanity, accessory to murder and revolt, censorship), he faces life imprisonment.

Constitution violations

Iliescu is accused by his opponents of having held three terms in office (four, counting the one between December 1989 and June 1990), although the Constitution, adopted in 1991, during his first mandate (1990-1992), was not to allow it. Before his unsuccessful campaign of 1996, the Constitutional Court of Romania ruled in favor of his third candidature and henceforth of his third presidency, begun in 2000. The situation is fairly similar to those in Russia (Boris Yeltsin), Ukraine and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the same time, taking into account that Ion Iliescu had a shorter first term and that he had a break during the second and the third term. In view of this, the accusation can be described as biased, since it ignores the illegitimacy of ex post facto legislation within the framework of Romanian constitutionalism. Yeltsin redirects here. ... Official language Serbian written in Cyrillic alphabet1 Capital Belgrade2 President3 Svetozar Marović Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 105th 102,350 km² 0. ... An ex post facto law (from the Latin for from something done afterward) or retroactive law (or retrospective law) is a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of acts committed or the legal status of facts and relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law. ...

In 1995, the procedures of impeaching the president Ion Iliescu were started by the Romanian Democratic Convention, following a press interview in which Iliescu appeared to deny the owners' rights as a whole to properties nationalized during the communist period. The Constitutional Court agreed on the unlawfulness of the declaration, but the Members of Parliament rejected the proposal of impeachment. The Romanian Democratic Convention (Romanian: Convenţia Democrată Română, CDR) was an electoral alliance of several political parties of Romania, active from early 1992 until 2000. ... Nationalization or nationalisation is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ...

In the 2004 electoral campaign he actively supported the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) and their candidate Adrian Năstase, despite Romanian laws forbidding the President from engaging in partisan politics. He dissmissed accusations that he was violationg these laws by remarking that he was not the chief of state in Switzerland (and thus inducing the image of that country as excessively neutral). He argued that, since he was also a PSD candidate for the 2004-2008 Romanian Senate (the upper chamber of the Parliament), he had the right to campaign for his supporting party, thus increasing the doubt that his actions as President had been marked by a conflict of interest. Another 1996 decision of the Constitutional Court had ruled that the president in term, even not as a party member, may run on a party list at the end of his mandate. The topic of the president's involvement in party politics is still a sensitive issue in Romania, largely because of the legal precedent created by Iliescu, but also because of several contradictions in the laws themselves (coupled with issues posed by the cautions of Romania's semi-presidential system, many times pereived as ambiguous). The Social Democratic Party of Romania (Partidul Social Democrat or PSD) is the governing party of Romania. ... Adrian Năstase (born June 22, 1950) is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004. ... A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, a politician, or an executive or director of a corporation, has competing professional and/or personal interests. ... States with semi-presidential systems are shown in yellow The semi-presidential system is a system of government that features both a prime minister and a president who are active participants in the day to day functioning of government. ...

Alleged KGB connections

In 1995, the Ziua newspaper published an interview with an ex-KGB officer who declared that Ion Iliescu was a KGB inductee. Iliescu denied any involvement, and Ziua journalists began to investigate the topic in detail. However, only a few days later, Ziua alleged that its employees were being placed under the surveillance of the Romanian Intelligence Service -- the official explanation was that the secret service was in fact watching a spy that lived nearby. The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for State Security Committee, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... Ziua (The Day in Romanian) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. ... The Serviciul Român de Informaţii (SRI) is the Romanian intelligence service and it is thought that before 1989 it was one of the top three in the world although many people werent aware of the fact. ...

The scandal on his alleged connections continued in 2003, when Russian dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who had been granted access to Soviet archives, declared that Iliescu and most of the Salvation Front members were KGB agents, that Iliescu had been in close connection with Mikhail Gorbachev ever since they had allegedly met during Iliescu's stay in Moscow, and that the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a plot organized by the KGB - in order to regain control of the country's policies (gradually lost under Ceauşescu's rule). Vladimir Bukovsky early photo Vladimir Konstantinovich Bukovsky (Russian: ; b. ...

Pardons

On 15 December 2004, a few days before the end of his last term, Iliescu pardoned Miron Cozma, the leader of the miners during the early 1990s, who had been sentenced in 1999 to 18 years in prison in conjunction with the 1991 Mineriad. This has attracted harsh criticism from all Romanian media. The United States Embassy released a press statement calling the pardon a surprising and worrying act. December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ... Miron Cozma (born August 25, 1954 in Derna, Bihor) is a Romanian miner union leader. ...

For the pardon to be legal, it had to be countersigned by Adrian Năstase, the incumbent Prime Minister. However, when asked by the press, Năstase first stated that he was not aware of the planned pardon, then that he did not approve of it and that his signature was ultimately a mere formality. Upon returning from Brussels, he stated that he wasn't aware of what he had signed, and that he placed his trust in the President, to the point of approving papers without reading them. Iliescu's party, the Social Democratic Party, stated that it could not be associated with the President's decision, neither constitutionally, nor politically. Furthermore, they did not support the decision and asked for its revocation, a position later adopted by Adrian Năstase himself. Finance Minister and Party vice-president Mihai Tănăsescu said he would resign his Party position if Iliescu would returns as leader of the Social Democrats early in 2005. Adrian Năstase (born June 22, 1950) is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004. ... Hotel de Ville de Bruxelles Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, pronounced ; French: Bruxelles, pronounced in Belgian French and often by non-Belgian speakers of French; German: Brüssel) is the capital of...

Also pardoned other 46 convicted criminals, most controversial being:

• Vasile Buşe, former vice-president of the International Religion Bank - convicted for abusing his powers in granting a loan of over a million USD
• Ioan Corpodeanu, former help of chief of police in Timiş - convicted for the deaths of several protesters during the Revolution of 1989 (through coincidence, the pardon took effect exactly 15 years after the Revolution's beginning in Timişoara)
• Petre Isac, former presidential adviser - convicted for corruption
• Mihai Gheorghe - convicted for embezzlement
• Horia Grigoriţă - convicted for fraud
• Valentino Acatrinei, former judge in the Bucharest Court of Appeals - convicted for influence peddling and bribery.

On 17 December, Iliescu and Adrian Năstase, while still in Brussels, 'signed' a revocation of the pardon. Due to the fact that in order for it to be legal it had to be the original, handwritten document, press speculated it was signed even before the two left for Brussels. According to legal experts, however, the revocation was not legal, an individual act can being revoked only as long as it is not already in effect - in this case, only if the convicts would not have been not released. This would equate with a person being convicted twice for the same crime. This legal opinion prevailed in courts as on June 2005, Miron Cozma was freed from prison on the basis of Ion Iliescu's pardon. The legality of the pardon decree is still under scrutiny. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... TimiÅŸ (Hungarian: Temes) is a county (judeÅ£) in Western Romania, in Western Transylvania - Banat region, with the capital city at TimiÅŸoara (population: 305,977 as of 2004). ... County TimiÅŸ County Status County Capital Mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandu, since 1996 Area 130,5 km² Population (2002) 315,977 Density 2,345 inh/km² Geographical coordinates , Web site http://www. ... Bucharest (Romanian: BucureÅŸti ) is the capital city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania. ... Influence peddling is the practice of using ones influence with persons in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. ... Bribery is a crime defined by Blacks Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions as an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Adrian Năstase (born June 22, 1950) is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004. ...

Cozma was taken back into custody minutes after the presidential spokeswoman announced the President's intention, on the dubious basis that he had not been able to identify himself during a police checkup, and then sent to Bucharest because there are documents there regarding his detention. Finally, the official statement stated that he was being detained in connection to crimes he committed while in prison, along with the same person that picked him up when he was first released, previous cell-mate Fane Spoitoru.

The EU Delegation's head in Bucharest, Jonathan Scheele, said I am as surprised as anyone by the President's last decision!. Internally, the pardon may have had further serious consequences, as the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania cited this as the reason behind its move to disengage talks with the Social Democrats for forming the new parliamentary majority. The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (Romanian: Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România, UDMR; Hungarian: Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség, RMDSZ) is an ethnically based political party representing ethnic Hungarians in Romania. ...

In 2002, Iliescu signed a pardon for George Tănase, former Financial Guard head commissionary for Ialomiţa, who had been convicted for corruption, only to revoke it days later due to the media outcry. IalomiÅ£a is a county (judeÅ£) in the South-East of Romania, in the Eastern Wallachia region, with the capital city at Slobozia (population: 56,913). ...

Another controversial pardon was that of Dan Tartagă - a businessman from Braşov that, while drunk, had ran over and killed two people on a zebra crossing. He was sentenced to three years and a half but was pardoned after only a couple of months. He is currently serving a two-year sentence for fraud. County BraÅŸov County Status County capital Mayor George Scripcaru, since 2004 Area  km² Population (2002) 283,901 Density  inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ...

On account of revoking pardons, it serves to point out that it is not legally possible to issue a new presidential edict that would revoke the previous one, as the Constitution of Romania and specific criminal laws do not allow it.

Others

In the last days of his President mandate, he awarded the National Order Steaua României (rank of ceremonial knighthood) to the ultra-nationalist contoversial politician Corneliu Vadim Tudor, a gesture which drew criticism in the press and prompted Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, fifteen Radio Free Europe journalists, Timişoara mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandu, song writer Alexandru Andrieş, and historian Randolph Braham to return their Romanian honours in protest. The leader of Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, Béla Markó, did not show up to claim the award he received on the same occasion. // Error creating thumbnail: convert: unable to open image `/mnt/upload3/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Medal. ... Elie Wiesel Eliezer Wiesel (commonly known as Elie) (born September 30, 1928) is a world-renowned American novelist, philosopher, humanitarian, political activist, and Holocaust survivor. ... Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a radio and communications organization which is funded by the United States Congress. ... County TimiÅŸ County Status County Capital Mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandu, since 1996 Area 130,5 km² Population (2002) 315,977 Density 2,345 inh/km² Geographical coordinates , Web site http://www. ... Gheorghe Ciuhandu (born 15 June 1947) is a Romanian politician. ... Headline text Béla Markó (born September 8, 1951) is a Romanian writer and politician of Hungarian ethnicity. ...

Quotes

• "Nicolae Ceauşescu tarnished the noble ideals of Socialism" — Iliescu on national TV, 22 December 1989, shortly after Ceauşescu had fled.

• "You animal !" Iliescu shouting at a press journalist in Constanţa.

• "The lawyer is the devil's advocate. Lawyers' profession is one of private interests not of morality. He is paid, he pleads for his clients. Such is the logic and morality of a lawyer." Ion Iliescu, trying to defend his own lawyer on June 9, 2005. [1] - in Romanian

TVRs logo TVR 280i TVR S series 1986 TVR 350i 1986 TVR Chimaera TVR Cerbera TVR is a manufacturer of sports cars, located in Blackpool in Lancashire, England. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Formerly, during the canonization process by the Roman Catholic Church, the Promoter of the Faith (Latin Promotor Fidei), or Devils Advocate (Latin advocatus diaboli), was a canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate. ...

See also

• Politics of Romania

Politics of Romania takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Romania is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...

Notes

1. ^ România Liberă. Gura lumii despre România, May 8, 1990, quoting Paris Match

România Liberă is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... Alexandre Coste, son of Albert II of Monaco, on the cover of Paris Match Paris Match is a French magazine. ...

External links

• Iliescu: Official biography (in Romanian)

Further reading

• Vladimir Alexe — Ion Iliescu - biografia secretă: "Candidatul manciurian" (Ion Iliescu - The Secret Biography: "The Manchurian Candidate"); 2000; ISBN 9735810360
• The supplement dedicated to Iliescu (in Romanian), published by Academia Caţavencu, 22 December 2004

December 2004 first page of the Academia Caţavencu Academia Caţavencu (Caţavencu Academy) is a Romanian satirical magazine founded in 1991, famous for its investigations. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

edit	Presidents of Romania
Romanian People's Republic (1947 - 1965)	Constantin Parhon | Petru Groza | Ion Gheorghe Maurer | Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Socialist Republic Romania (1965 - 1989)	Nicolae Ceauşescu
Romania (since 1989)	Ion Iliescu | Emil Constantinescu | Ion Iliescu | Traian Băsescu

This is a list of Presidents of Romania: Note: The official function of President of Romania did not exist until March 1974. ... Coat of arms of Romania This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... Constantin Ion Parhon (October 15, 1874 - August 9, 1969) was a Romanian scientist, politician and head of state from 1947 to 1952. ... Categories: Romania-related stubs | 1884 births | 1958 deaths | Romanian Prime Ministers ... Ion Gheorghe Maurer (September 23, 1902 - February 8, 2000) was a Romanian politician and lawyer. ... Gheorghiu-Dej (center) and Ceauşescu (left) Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (November 8, 1901, Bârlad - March 19, 1965, Bucharest) was the Communist leader of Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965. ... The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... Nicolae Ceauşescu (IPA ) (January 26, 1918 - December 25, 1989) was the leader of Communist Romania from 1965 until shortly before his execution. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Traian Băsescu (born November 4, 1951) is a Romanian politician. ...