Please find attached a 25 August 1995 Transition article entitled "The 'Centripetfugal' Process of Unifying the Liberals," which describes the many and "short-lived liberal alliances" in Romania, and the various unions and splits within the National Liberal Party (PNL) (Transition 25 Aug. 1995, 49). As of 9 July 1996, a news report stated that Romania still had "a plethora of liberal parties or those claiming to be" (OMRI 9 July 1996).

With regard to the current status of the PNL and its splinter groups, Radu Campeanu, leader of the tiny splinter group National Liberal Party-Campeanu wing (PNL-C) was on 7 August 1996 nominated as a candidate for the National Liberal-Ecologist Alliance (ANLE) for the November 1996 presidential elections (OMRI 8 Aug. 1996; Rompres 7 Aug. 1996). Campeanu's PNL-C in early August 1996 merged with "The Ecologists" party to form the ANLE (OMRI 2 Aug. 1996). The PNL, led by Mircea Ionescu-Quintus, at the same time announced it was to merge with the National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention (ibid.).

In early May 1996, prior to the June local elections, the leaders of the opposition alliance the Democratic Convention of Romania (CDR) and the PNL claimed that burglars had broken into their Botosani offices and stolen documents (OMRI 3 May 1996; Deutsche Presse-Agentur 2 May 1996). Both parties' leaders accused the ruling Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) of promoting crime before the June elections (OMRI 3 May 1996). In a similar incident, the car of Petre Roman, head of the Democratic Party, was stoned by persons in the town of Sascut a week before (ibid.). The Democratic Party claimed that the ruling Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) was responsible for the event (ibid.). Additionally, on 7 May 1996 a news release reported harassment and intimidation of opposition candidates attempting to register for the June local elections (OMRI 7 May 1996).

A BBC article of 9 June 1996, attached, provides information on the results of the first round of the June 1996 local elections.

According to a June 1995 radio report, a rally was held in that month in Bucharest to mark the fifth anniversary of the June 1990 events in the capital (Romanian Radio 14 June 1995). The rally was attended by various opposition parties, among them the PNL, and participants chanted antigovernment, antipresidential and pro-monarchist slogans (ibid.). No references to ill-treatment of participants were found in the radio report.

Finally, a BBC article of 15 August 1996, also attached, provides information on the number of electoral seats allocated to various member parties of the Democratic Convention of Romania (CDR).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 2 May 1996. BC Cycle. "Offices of Romanian Opposition Parties Burgled." (NEXIS)

Open Media Research Institute (OMRI) Daily Digest [Prague]. 8 August 1996. Michael Shafir. "Another Romanian Presidential Candidate." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 2 August 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Romanian Political Update." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 9 July 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Liberal Alliance Set up in Romania." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 7 May 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Romanian Local Election Update." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 3 May 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Crime Mars Romanian Electoral Campaign." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

Romanian Radio [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 14 June 1995. "Rally on Fifth Anniversary of University Square Clashes." (BBC Summary 16 June 1995/NEXIS)

Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 7 August 1996. "Opposition Alliance Nominate Candidate for Presidency." (BBC Summary 9 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and Southeastern Europe [Prague]. 25 August 1995. Vol. 1, No. 15. Michael Shafir. "The 'Centripetfugal' Process of Unifying the Liberals."

Attachments

Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 2 May 1996. BC Cycle. "Offices of Romanian Opposition Parties Burgled." (NEXIS)

Open Media Research Institute (OMRI) Daily Digest [Prague]. 8 August 1996. Michael Shafir. "Another Romanian Presidential Candidate." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 2 August 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Romanian Political Update." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 9 July 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Liberal Alliance Set up in Romania." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 7 May 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Romanian Local Election Update." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

_____. 3 May 1996. Dan Ionescu. "Crime Mars Romanian Electoral Campaign." (INTERNET: OMRI Daily Digest full-text search.http://solar.rtd.utk.edu:81/...n/friends/omri/select-rec.pl)

Romanian Radio [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 13 August 1996. "Opposition Movement Divides up Prospective Seats." (BBC Summary 15 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

_____. 14 June 1995. "Rally on Fifth Anniversary of University Square Clashes." (BBC Summary 16 June 1995/NEXIS)

Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 7 August 1996. "Opposition Alliance Nominate Candidate for Presidency." (BBC Summary 9 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

_____. 8 June 1996. "Bucharest Result, Mayors Elected, Total Votes Cast." (BBC Summary 9 June 1996/NEXIS)

Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and Southeastern Europe [Prague]. 25 August 1995. Vol. 1, No. 15. Michael Shafir. "The 'Centripetfugal' Process of Unifying the Liberals," pp. 49-53.