Mircea Snegur

Mircea Snegur
1st President of the Republic of Moldova
In office September 3, 1990 – January 15, 1997
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Petru Lucinschi
Personal details
Born	January 17, 1940 (1940-01-17) (age 71) Trifăneşti, Floreşti district
Political party	Independent
Children	Natalia Gherman

Snegur and Manfred Wörner

Mircea Ion Snegur (b. January 17, 1940 - Trifăneşti, now in Floreşti district) was the first President of Moldova^[1] 1990-1996.^[2] Before that he was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet 1989-1990 (head of state) and Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 27 April to 3 September 1990. In the Soviet era, he was often known in English as Mircha Ivanovich Snegur, a transliteration from the Russian Мирча Иванович Снегур.

Biography

A former Communist Party official, Snegur endorsed independence for Moldova and actively sought Western recognition. Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991. However, Snegur's opposition to immediate reunification with Romania led to a split with the Moldovan Popular Front in October 1991 and to his decision to run as an independent candidate in a December 1991 presidential election. Running unopposed, he won after the Popular Front's efforts to organize a voter boycott failed.

In the presidential elections of 1996, Parliamentary speaker Petru Lucinschi surprised the nation with an upset victory over Snegur in a second round of balloting.

Education

Chişinău Institute of Agriculture

Career

Member of the Communist Party 1964–1990

• 1967–1971 - worked as agronomist, manager of state and collective farms
• 1971–1978 - with the Ministry of Agriculture
• 1978–1981 - Director General of the Selektsiya Research Production Association, Kishinev
• 1981–1985 - Secretary of the Communist Party committee of Yedinetskiy district
• 1985–1989 - Secretary in the Central Committee of the CP of Moldavia
• 1989–1990 - Chairman of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of Moldavia
• 1990 (April–September) - Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Moldavia
• 1990–1996 - President of independent Moldova

References

1. ^ "Moldavan troops, separatists clash". The Milwaukee Sentinel. April 1, 1992. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3ZYWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1RIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5037,12890&dq=mircea+snegur&hl=en. Retrieved 11 February 2011. 
2. ^ "Б И О Г Р А Ф И Я господина Мирчи СНЕГУРА, Президента Республики Молдова (1990-1996 гг.)" (in Russian). Republic of Moldova. http://www.presedinte.md/crono.php?lang=rus&page=602. Retrieved 11 February 2011. 

Preceded by formation of republic

President of the Republic of Moldova 1990–1997

Succeeded by Petru Lucinschi

Persondata
Name	Snegur, Mircea
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 17, 1940
Place of birth	Trifăneşti, Floreşti district
Date of death
Place of death