- Title: BULGARIA: PARLIAMENT ELECTS REFORMER MLADENOV AS BULGARIA'S NEW PRESIDENT
- Date: 17th November 1989
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (NOVEMBER 17, 1989) GV-PAN PARLIAMENT IN SESSION SVS, GV MLADENOV ADDRESSES PARLIAMENT (BULGARIAN SOT) (3 SHOTS) GV-PAN, SVS DEMONSTRATORS OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT, SIGNING PETITION, CARRYING BANNERS (3 SHOTS) GV-PANS, SVS PRO-REFORM DEMONSTRATION IN SOFIA (4 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 2nd December 1989 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bulgaria, Bulgaria
- City:
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5VKO8KC06X646AXRFEICWNHT0
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: SOFIA, BULGARIA
The Bulgarian Parliament on Friday voted unanimously to dismiss former communist leader Todor Zhivkov as head of state and elected party chief Petar Mladenov as Bulgaria's new president.
The landmark session, which was broadcast live on national television for the first time in Bulgaria's history, confirmed the reformist path chosen by the new leadership. Deputies praised Mladenov for his support of perestroika, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of restructuring, and delivered unprecedented criticism of Zhivkov.
Mladenov, who took over the party leadership from Zhivkov last Friday has moved quickly to secure his position in the party. On Thursday he initiated one of the biggest purges in four decades of communist rule. The party's policy-making Central Committee sacked three hardline Politburo members and promoted four liberal communists likely to back Mladenov in implementing reforms.
After the parliamentary session some 10,000 people attended a state-sponsored rally in central Sofia to support recent leadership changes.
<strong>Source: REUTERS - NIKOLA VITOROVIC</strong> - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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