National Peasants Party

One of the three leading parties walked out of Romania's makeshift Parliament Friday to protest recent violent attacks on opposition leaders. The National Peasants Party's pullout symbolized the growing tension before Romania's first free elections in more than 40 years, planned for May 20. Anti-government protesters seeking the resignation of former Communists, including interim President Ion Iliescu, demonstrated for the 20th straight day in downtown Bucharest.

One of the three leading parties walked out of Romania's makeshift Parliament Friday to protest recent violent attacks on opposition leaders. The National Peasants Party's pullout symbolized the growing tension before Romania's first free elections in more than 40 years, planned for May 20. Anti-government protesters seeking the resignation of former Communists, including interim President Ion Iliescu, demonstrated for the 20th straight day in downtown Bucharest.

The National Peasants Party said Friday that it supports the decision of the National Salvation Front, Romania's provisional government, to abandon plans for a referendum on the death penalty and on outlawing the Communist Party. The Peasants Party has emerged as the leading political group in the country since the revolution that ousted the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu last month. Its support could help rally public opinion behind the front, which has flip-flopped on the two issues.

The National Peasants Party said Friday that it supports the decision of the National Salvation Front, Romania's provisional government, to abandon plans for a referendum on the death penalty and on outlawing the Communist Party. The Peasants Party has emerged as the leading political group in the country since the revolution that ousted the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu last month. Its support could help rally public opinion behind the front, which has flip-flopped on the two issues.

Moving to end a governance crisis, Romania's dismissed prime minister announced Tuesday that he was abandoning a fight to keep his job after he was fired in a move that some legal experts said was unconstitutional. President Emil Constantinescu dismissed Radu Vasile, 57, early Tuesday, claiming that he was unable to carry out his duties as premier.

Eastern Europe's election series sweeps southward to Romania on Sunday, when voters go to the polls for what has been hailed as their first democratic ballot in 50 years but has been tainted by widespread allegations of intimidation and harassment. The National Salvation Front, which has governed since Romanians overthrew and executed dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in December, is widely favored to win the presidency with its candidate, interim head of state Ion Iliescu.

Tens of thousands of factory workers rallied around the National Salvation Front on Monday, chanting "We will work and back you up" in a demonstration outside the provisional government's headquarters. The demonstrators crowded Bucharest's Victory Square in a counterpoint to earlier protests by opposition parties calling for the resignation of the front. Members of the National Peasants Party and the Liberal Party fled their headquarters as thousands of people later marched on their buildings.

The president of Romania named the central bank governor as the country's new prime minister Thursday in an effort to end the political crisis that flared this week with the ouster of the former premier. Mugur Isarescu, 50, who served briefly as a Washington diplomat, has headed the central bank since 1990. He has until Monday to form a new Cabinet and submit an economic plan to Parliament.

The Bush Administration called home the U.S. ambassador to Romania on Thursday to protest intimidation of opposition candidates and other irregularities that have marred the campaign for the country's first multi-party election in more than 40 years. State Department spokesman Margaret Tutwiler said Ambassador Alan Green Jr. was recalled for consultations as "a public signal of our concern."

The United States, expressing growing disquiet that Romania's leaders might betray the ideals of last month's revolution, said today it had protested the intimidation of opposition groups there. "We are deeply troubled by what appears to be active intimidation of legitimate organizations which are seeking a legitimate independent role in Romania's new political order," said State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler.

A government minister said Saturday that student groups were not to blame for the riots 10 days ago in Bucharest in which six people died. In a fresh indication that Romanian authorities are trying to win over their critics, Interior Minister Doru Ursu said: "It is more than clear that the students of Bucharest were in no way involved in the violent events of June 13-15."

Four top aides of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu have confessed they are guilty of complicity to commit genocide, a lawyer told a military court Saturday. Former Deputy Prime Minister Ion Dinca, former Interior Minister Tudor Postelnicu, Communist Party organizational chief Emil Bobu and former Vice President Manea Manescu are the first senior Ceausescu regime officials to go on trial.