Ex-Communists Reported Losing Bulgaria Vote

SOFIA, Bulgaria —  The renamed Communist Party has lost its grip on power in multi-party elections, preliminary estimates early today showed.

Sunday’s election for the 240-seat Parliament had been considered a test of strength for the former Communists, now known as the Bulgarian Socialist Party, who have dominated Bulgarian politics well after the decline of similar parties across Eastern Europe.

The major challenger to the Socialists was the Union of Democratic Forces, led by President Zhelyu Zhelev. The UDF won 36% of the vote, and the Socialist Party about 32%, early unofficial estimates from the Bulgarian Assn. for Fair Elections and Civil Rights showed.

After the voting, Zhelev said that Sunday’s election constituted “a new step toward democracy.”

Turnout was heavy, with long lines lasting into the evening, and some voters waited hours to cast ballots. About 60% of the 6.5 million eligible Bulgarians had voted by late Sunday, officials said.

It was Bulgaria’s second multi-party election since Communist strongman Todor Zhivkov was ousted in November, 1989.

The Socialists won the first election in June, 1990, and dominated a coalition led by independent Prime Minister Dimitur Popov.

Although all parties advocate reforms of the moribund economy, some Union of Democratic Forces leaders advocate faster privatization while the Socialists favor a slow transition to a free-market economy.

Many Bulgarians saw this as the final test of whether their country would follow the path of neighboring states where communism has collapsed. But others feared that an opposition victory would lead to an acceleration of inflation, which has reached an annual rate of 700% even under the moderate reforms pursued thus far.

Of the 61 parties taking part in the elections, 31 are allied in nine different coalitions and the remaining 30 entered as independent parties. Fewer than 10 of the parties, however, stand a chance to garner the 4% of the vote required to gain seats in Parliament.

More than 100 countries sent observers, who reported improvements over the 1990 vote. At that time, there were complaints of numerous irregularities such as Socialist intimidation and party distribution of prestamped ballots.

“Compared to last year, the elections are running better,” said Mary Scott Guest, an American observer. “Everything is normal.”

Election Day in Bulgaria

Here are main political parties in Sunday’s elections: Bulgarian Socialist Party. Succeeds Communist Party, which monopolized power since 1946. Changed its name in April, 1990, to distance itself from former leader Todor Zhivkov, ousted in November, 1989. Led by Alexander Lilov.

Union of Democratic Forces. Headed by Zhelyu Zhelev, first non-Communist president of Bulgaria. Formed in December, 1989, by 16 parties. Won 144 of 400 parliamentary seats in 1990 election.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Founded in January, 1990, to represent 1.5 million ethnic Turks, persecuted under Zhivkov’s regime. Founder is Ahmed Dogan. Won 23 seats in 1990.

Source: Reuters