Roma Civic Initiative

The Roma Civic Initiative ("Romská občanská iniciativa" - ROI) is a Roma minority political party, now based in Slovakia.

The party was originally established in Czechoslovakia on November 21, 1989, immediately following the Velvet Revolution. As part of the Civic Forum, and with lawyer Emil Scuka as its leader, the party managed to win seats in all the branches of government during Czechoslovakia's first post-communist democratic elections in 1990. The party was naturally split during the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, but internal divisions led to further splits, and the party eventually dissolved. In the Czech Republic Scuka maintained the leadership of the ROI until 2001, while also becoming General Secretary of the International Romani Union. The party was finally removed from the rolls of Czech political parties in 2005. [http://www.dzeno.cz/?c_id=7431 Historic Roma Political Party Comes to an End] Dzeno Association (16-5-2005)]

In Slovakia, the party re-emerged and re-registered itself in 2005, to join other Roma parties such as "Romska Inteligencia za Spolunazivanie", the "Strana Ochrany Prav Romov", the "Strana Jednoty Romov", and the "Strana Romskych Demokratov." [http://www.dzeno.cz/?c_id=8369 Slovak Roma Political Party Now Registered] Dzeno Association, (15-8-2005)]

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