POST-REVOLUTION ROMANIA, 1990: The National Salvation Front officially registers as political party

On February 6, 1990, the National Salvation Front (FSN) registered with the Bucharest Municipal Court after a decision to run in elections as a political formation with its own manifesto, according to 'Romania. Data and Facts. 1989-2009,' published by the AGERPRES National News Agency (2010). The National Salvation Front was set up on the evening of December 22, 1989, as the new state power body, with the aim of ''establishing democracy, freedom and dignity for the Romanian people.' The same day, a "Communique to the country" of the FSN Council was broadcast on radio and TV, which stated: "From this moment on, all the power structures of the Ceausescu clan are being dissolved. The government is hereby dismissed, the State Council and its institutions cease their activity. The entire power in the state is taken over by the FSN Council," according to 'Istoria Romaniei in date' (Chronology of Romanian History), Enciclopedica Publishing House, Bucharest, 2003. At the same time, a manifesto was unveiled for the democratisation of political and social life in Romania. The FSN manifesto included the following: the abandonment of the leading role of a single political party and the establishment of a pluralistic democratic system of government; organising free elections in April; separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers; drawing up a new constitution; promoting free initiative in the economy; supporting small peasant production; democratisation of education and culture; respect for the rights and freedoms of national minorities; full respect for human rights and freedoms; integration with the process of building a united Europe, etc. The National Salvation Front was registered as a political party with the Bucharest Municipal Court under Ruling 27 of February 6, 1990, according to it is mentioned in the work ''Dictionar al partidelor si coalitiilor politice si al uniunilor etnice din Romania'' (Dictionary of Romania's political parties and coalitions as well as ethnic unions) published by ROMPRES (1993). On April 7-8 1990, the works of the National Conference of the National Salvation Front was held in Bucharest, during which the election platform was established, and Ion Iliescu was elected national chairman of FSN as well as the FSN candidate for the presidential election. In the first post-communist elections in Romania, which took place on May 20, 1990, FSN won the majority in Parliament, having won 66.31 percent of the votes (263 seats) in the Assembly of Deputies, and 67.2 percent (91 seats) in the Senate, as well as the president's office. Subsequently, two groups gradually emerged inside FSN with divergent views on the nature of the reforms that were to take place. At the National Convention of FSN in March 1991, the party's statutes were adopted along with the offices of national leader of FSN - won by Petre Roman - and executive chairman - won on Aurel Stoica, and a motion called 'A future for Romania.' Following the National Convention of March 27-29, 1992, when Petre Roman was elected chairman, the group that subsequently created the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN) split away. FDSN was formed as 125 MPs (65 deputies and 60 senators out of a total of 342 lawmakers elected on the FSN lists), five ministers and several county organisations that supported President Ion Iliescu broke away. After the parliamentary election of September 27, 1992, the National Salvation Front garnered 10.38% of the votes to the Senate of the total validly cast votes (18 seats), and 10.18% of the votes to the Chamber of Deputies (43 seats). An extraordinary meeting of the FSN National Convention May 28-29, 1993, established the merger of the National Salvation Front with the Democratic Party, with the new name of the party becoming the Democratic Party (FSN). New statutes were adopted at the time, with Petre Roman becoming the national leader of the party. Later, the name ''FSN'' was dropped from the name of the party. AGERPRES (RO - documentarian: Ruxandra Bratu, editor: Cerasela Badita; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)