The initial enthusiasm after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was tempered in January 1990, after the National Salvation Front (Frontul Salvării Naționale, FSN), an organization that emerged as the leader during the anti-Ceaușescu revolution, decided to run as a party in the elections it was set to organize. Further discontent was brought by the fact that many of the FSN leaders, including its president, Ion Iliescu, were former members of the Romanian Communist Party. When the 1989 Revolution occurred, the Communist Party had a membership of 4 million out of a population of 22 million.