EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
For Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 (0)2 732 70 26
Tel/Fax : +32 (0)2 732 70 27

PRESS RELEASE
for immediate release
5 May 2007
Contact: Varténie ECHO
Tel/Fax : +32 (0)2 732 70 27

BULGARIA: GOVERNMENT VIOLATES PARLIAMENTARY RULES TO BLOCK ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

— 45 Prominent Scholars Support Opposition Party Motion for
Recognition —

Sophia, Bulgaria — On Wednesday, May 2nd, conservative
Bulgarian opposition parties boycotted the Parliament session when
socialist government leaders manipulated Parliament rules to block a
vote on a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. Generally,
the agenda of the Parliament’s first session of the month is set by
the opposition, which planned to bring up the resolution. In
response, Socialist Party representative, Mrs Maya Manolova
(Socialist Party), charged that the resolution had been brought up in
the past and removed it from the agenda.

The opposition denounced the "totalitarian behaviour" which the
majority used to avoid any democratic debate on this issue as on
others.
According to media sources, 45 prominent intellectuals had called on
the government to recognize the Armenian genocide, and also urged
recognition of the "Bulgarian atrocities" perpetrated in 1876 by the
Ottoman Empire. This recognition effort caused a scandal in
Parliament when, on April 24th, Bulgaria’s Turkish nationalist
faction – a party which obtained 13% of the votes during the last
legislative elections – boycotted the session during which a moment
of silence was observed dedicated to the memory of the Genocide’s
victims.

The support of the Turkish nationalist MPs is vital to the
leading government coalition in Sofia.

"The position of the government is not acceptable, neither
morally or politically, since the people of Bulgaria favour
recognition of the Genocide," said a spokesperson for the Armenian
community of Bulgaria, adding that "We expect that the government
will move forward and recognize the Genocide."

Bulgaria, which itself suffered massacres perpetrated by the
Turkish government, was a direct witness of the Armenian genocide and
provided safe-haven to thousands of survivors in the 1920s.

"We condemn the shameful position of the government in Sofia
for sacrificing the moral consensus in Bulgaria for its alliance of
circumstance with the Turkish extremist party," said European
Armenian Federation Executive Director Laurent Leylekian.

"Bulgaria’s example clearly demonstrates that wherever Turkey
advances democracy retreats. In light of this example, who can
reasonably expect that our liberties and security will be guaranteed
when Ankara joins the EU?" added Leylekian.

The Federation calls upon the European Parliament and upon the
parliaments of the eleven member states which have already recognized
the Armenian genocide to urge the Bulgarian Parliament to live up to
European standards and recognize the Armenian Genocide.