laimed from the Ottoman Empire;
independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin;
kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic
proclaimed)

National holiday:
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)

Constitution:
8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003

Legal system:
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is
now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004,
with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004
(next to be held November-December 2009); prime minister appointed
by the president with the consent of the Parliament
election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
NASTASE 48.77%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are
elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation
basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be
held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November
2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -
PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party -
PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR
36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111,
PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN
(GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for
three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior
Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of
justice, the prosecutor g