Mircea Snegur

Mircea Snegur
1st President of the Republic of Moldova
In office September 3, 1990 – January 15, 1997
Prime Minister	Mircea Druc Valeriu Muravschi Andrei Sangheli Ion Ciubuc
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Petru Lucinschi
Personal details
Born	(1940-01-17) January 17, 1940 Trifăneşti, Florești District
Political party	Independent
Children	Natalia Gherman
Signature	Mircea Snegur's signature

Mircea Ion Snegur (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmirt͡ʃe̯a iˈon ˈsneɡur]; b. January 17, 1940 – Trifăneşti, now in Florești District) was the first President of Moldova from 1990–1997. 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 Popular Front of Moldova 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 of Moldova 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 SSR
• 29 Jul 1989 - 27 Apr 1990 - Chairman of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of Moldavia
• 27 Apr 1990 - 23 Jun 1990 - Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Moldavian SSR
• 23 Jun 1990 - 03 Sep 1990 - Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Moldovan SSR
• 03 Sep 1990 - 23 May 1991 - President of Moldovan SSR (a constituent Republic of the USSR)
• 23 May 1991 - 27 Aug 1991 - President of the Republic of Moldova (a constituent Republic of the USSR)
• 27 Aug 1991 - 15 Jan 1997 - President of independent Moldova

Honours and awards

• Order of the Republic (Moldova)
• Order for Merits to Lithuania
• Order of the Badge of Honour
• Medal "For Labour Valour"
• War of Transnistria

References

Political offices
Preceded by formation of republic	President of the Republic of Moldova 1990–1997	Succeeded by Petru Lucinschi