Bulgarian news agency review of Bulgarian press for 15 Mar 04

BTA news agency, Sofia
15 Mar 04

Text of press review in English by Bulgarian news agency BTA

This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal
names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have
any questions, contact Caversham editors on 86064.

Sofia, 15 March:

DOMESTIC POLICY

There will be early parliamentary elections in the autumn, says Roumen
Ovcharov, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Bulgarian
Socialist Party (BSP), quoted by “Troud”. The political spectrum is in
the process of restructuring; all players, including the coalition
partners of the ruling Simeon II National Movement (SNM), are
reconsidering their strategic partnerships, he further says.

“24 Chassa” refers to Ekaterina Mihailova of the United Democratic
Forces (UtdDF) who says that a Grand National Assembly should be
convened because the incumbent government can no longer rule for it
has exhausted its credit of confidence.

“We will launch consultation on the dissolving of the 39th National
Assembly at the beginning of April,” says Union of Democratic Forces
(UDF) MP Vassil Vassilev before “Monitor”. UDF’s task is to
consolidate the right-of-centre forces in the name of Bulgaria, he
adds.

* * *

“Standart News” writes that Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
recommended to reduce the number of the SNM deputy floor leaders from
six to three.

* * *

Only the parties having hard-core electorate will be presented in the
next parliament, writes “Sega” in connection with the establishment of
the Novo Vreme parliamentary group, consisting of breakaways from
SNM. “The dangerous thing is that the political elite does not take
into account the emerging of diverse interests in the Bulgarian
society,” the paper also writes.

* * *

The Union of Democratic Forces has remained without financing and its
leader Nadezhda Mihailova is seeking urgently assistance from the US
and Great Britain, “Sega” says. UDF has no money even for salaries and
the debts accumulated equal tens of thousands of leva. “Sega” also
writes that Mihailova has renewed talks with UDF’s main external
sponsor, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Talks were also allegedly
underway with Britain’s Conservative Party and the US Republicans and
Democrats. The funds would be utilized by the Democratic Alternative
Foundation, registered a year ago by Mihailova’s aides.

* * *

“24 Chassa” writes that BSP will refer the deal on the sale of the
Bulgarian Telecommunications Company to the prosecution authorities
due to doubts over its provision concerning the licensing of a third
GSM operator. The paper explains that the Communications Commission
will decide whether a third operator can be licensed without a bidding
procedure.

SOCIETY

The papers keep on covering the March 11 bombings in Madrid. The
Bulgarians’ death toll has risen to four people. Bulgaria will
commemorate the blasts victims with a three minutes’ silence and
wailing sirens at 13:00 hrs on Monday. “4th Bulgarian Victim in
Madrid”, “Last Tribute to the Dead”, read front-page headlines in
“Troud” and “24 Chassa”, respectively.

After Spain, Al-Kaida’s next target will probably be Italy, “Troud”
writes referring to a video cassette, seized by the police in
Madrid. The tape showed a man saying that the terrorists’ next targets
will be Italy, Great Britain, Japan and other US allies in the war in
Iraq. “Bulgaria was not mentioned among the future targets,” “24
Chassa” writes. “Al Kaida claimed the responsibility for the Madrid
bombings ,” says “Bulgarska Armiya”.

* * *

The body retrieved from the sunken ship Hera has not been identified
yet, “Troud” writes. The Cambodian-flagged vessel sank in a storm off
the Bosphorus on February 13. Its 19 crew included 17
Bulgarians. “Some of Hera’s seamen will remain at the bottom of the
sea forever, “Troud” writes. The identification procedure will be held
Monday or Tuesday at the latest, a representative of the Bulgarian
Consulate in Istanbul reportedly said.

* * *

The Gaddafi Foundation will hold the hitherto Libyan justice minister
for the prolonging of the trial against the Bulgarian medics and for
other omissions and violations, the special correspondent of “Troud”
and “24 Chassa” in Benghazi reports. Six Bulgarian health
professionals are charged with contaminating some 400 Libyan children
with HIV. A hearing of the case is scheduled for Monday. “Vizh” and
“Monitor” write that the defendants’ Libyan lawyer Osman Bizanti will
not attend the March 15 hearing because he is undergoing some
treatment in London.

* * *

“Money Win Over Morality,” writes “Sega”. The report of the interim
municipal commission, charged with checking the Sofiiski Imoti
company, fully justifies it, the paper writes. Sofiiski Imoti is
allegedly even praised for alleviating the municipality by alienating
real estates and providing compensations for owners. The report was
drafted by Stanimir Zashev, municipal councillor of the Gergyovden-Dem
Party-Popular Union coalition. “Sega” recalls that Sofiiski Imoti’s
most scandalous deal was the purchase of a 90-sq.m. plot in Sofia’s
posh neighbourhood, Lozenets.

* * *

The dismissal of Bulgarian National Television (BNT) Director Kiril
Gotsev would be an extreme measure, says Electronic Media Council
member Stefan Dimitrov before “Sega”. Gotsev is accused of signing a
deal, that is detrimental to BNT. Asked why he has become one of
Gotsev’s strongest advocates, Dimitrov says that every structure stops
operating efficiently upon the appointment of an acting director. Only
the death would remove me from BNT, says Gotsev quoted by “24
Chassa”. “I am the first person in the world accused for a
non-existing contract,” he further says.

* * *

If the Bulgarian State Railways disburses its subsidy of some 80
million leva earlier than planned, all discounts for pensioners and
students will be removed. “Sega” writes this referring to Deputy
Transport Minister Nikola Yankov. The paper recalls that as of 2003
the discounts for these two groups of the population were reduced from
50 to 30 per cent.

FOREIGN POLICY

The dailies report on the departure of Foreign Minister Solomon Passy
on a tour of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in his capacity as
Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE). Passy left for the Caucasian region regardless of the
tension, writes “Troud”. “24 Chassa” quotes Bulgaria’s top diplomat as
saying that he is aware of the risks. Passy joins the dialogue for
peace in the Caucasus, “Pari” writes.