The Roma Civic Initiative (''Rómska občianska iniciatíva'' - ROI) is a

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

minority political party, now based in

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. The party was originally established in

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

on November 21, 1989, immediately following the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

. As part of the

Civic Forum The Civic Forum (, OF) was a political movement in the Czech part of Czechoslovakia, established during the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The corresponding movement in Slovakia was called Public Against Violence ( – VPN). The Civic Forum's purpo ...

, and with lawyer Emil Ščuka 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 The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on December 31, 1992, was the Self-determination, self-determined Partition (politics), partition of the federal republic of Fifth Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovakia into the independent ...

, but internal divisions led to further splits, and the party eventually dissolved. In the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Ščuka maintained the leadership of the ROI until 2001, while also becoming General Secretary of the

International Romani Union The International Romani Union (), formerly known as the International Gypsy Committee and International Rom Committee, is an organization active for the rights of the Romani people. Its seat is in Vienna. The International Romani Union also has ...

. The party was finally removed from the rolls of Czech political parties in 2005.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 '' Rómska Inteligencia za Spolunažívanie'', the ''Strana Ochrany Práv Rómov'', the ''Strana Jednoty Rómov'', and the ''Strana Rómskych Demokratov.''Slovak Roma Political Party Now Registered
Dzeno Association, (15-8-2005)

References

Political parties of minorities in Slovakia Political parties of minorities in the Czech Republic Romani political parties Romani in Slovakia Romani in the Czech Republic {{Romani-stub