BULGARIA: ANTI-GOVERNMENT STRIKES HIT THE COUNTRY AS WORKERS JOIN STUDENTS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES DEMANDING ELECTIONS
Record ID:
342187
BULGARIA: ANTI-GOVERNMENT STRIKES HIT THE COUNTRY AS WORKERS JOIN STUDENTS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES DEMANDING ELECTIONS
- Title: BULGARIA: ANTI-GOVERNMENT STRIKES HIT THE COUNTRY AS WORKERS JOIN STUDENTS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES DEMANDING ELECTIONS
- Date: 29th January 1997
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (JANUARY 29, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/SV PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNERS AND POSTERS MARCH DOWN STREETS/ POLICE LINE OUTSIDE SOCIALIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS (11 SHOTS) 1.00 2. LV PROTESTERS DANCING IN STREET 1.05 3. SV STUDENT NADEZHDA DIMITROVA SAYING IT IS THEIR FOURTH WEEK OF PROTESTS AGAINST THE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT. WE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN A SOCIALIST COUNTRY, THAT'S ALL (ENGLISH) 1.22 4. LV PROTESTERS MARCHING 1.29 5. GV THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS IN CENTRAL SOFIA 1.35 Initials s3, p3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 13th February 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SOFIA, BULGARIA
- City:
- Country: Bulgaria
- Reuters ID: LVA4ES3VQ58F70BI1KWZBEK2TSSV
- Story Text: Bulgaria's ruling Socialists appealed for talks with angry opposition parties to set a date for early elections, saying the Balkan country's political and economic crisis was "alarming, tense and explosive." Socialist Interior Minister Nikolai Dobrev, who is trying to form an interim government, warned in a television interview on Wednesday that "the chaos and power vacuum may threaten civil peace." Bulgaria, its economy in ruins, has been plunged into its worst crisis since the fall of communism in 1989 by 24 days of mass street protests by an opposition demanding quick elections and an end to rule by the formerly communist Socialists.
The national currency, the lev, has plummeted, inflation has soared and the government has warned of a possible default on a 10 billion U.S. dollar foreign debt.
The main branch of the State Savings Bank was swamped on Wednesday (January 30) with clients withdrawing the funds and foreign exchanges around Sofia were packed with people changing levs into dollars.
Long queues formed at petrol stations, some stretching for 50 cars, amid panic buying on fears that state oil refineries would run dry for lack of money.
Workers held one-hour sympathy strikes across the country in support of opposition parties and students who have staged daily demonstrations in central Sofia daily to demand immediate elections.
Teachers, transport and factory workers, miners, hospital staff and taxis stopped work to back the anti-government protests.
Protesters blocked road and rail links to Greece and Romania.
The main opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) was quick to reject Dobrev's offer to stand down at an agreed date in the next three to five months and hold elections, saying it wanted the vote now.
The Socialists have overseen a caretaker government since prime minister Zhan Videnov quit in December after his party suffered a landslide loss in presidential elections.
They have an absolute majority in the 240-seat parliament but the UDF is trying to win enough Socialist defections to prevent Dobrev from forming a government.
The UDF's rejection of Dobrev's offer of talks about elections in three to five months time set the scene for a 25th day of protests by students and the opposition. Many workers vowed to hold more one-hour strikes.
The opposition street protests have often been colourful and imaginative. Students held a candle-light parade and a spoof Miss Protest and Mr Vagabond contest on Wednesday.
To a blaring rock version of the national anthem, women students paraded in military uniforms or lingerie under coats and boasted names such as Miss Kalashnikova or Miss Flakjacket.
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