[Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 12:53 AM Subject: King Simeon's Priorities: Join NATO, EU [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Get a low APR NextCard Visa in 30 seconds! 1. Fill in the brief application 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds 3. Get rates as low as 2.99% Intro or 9.99% Ongoing APR and no annual fee! Apply NOW! http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/NextCard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "[His priorities] were speedy economic growth, a drive to join the European Union and NATO...." Sunday June 17 6:01 PM ET Ex-King's Party Wins Bulgarian Poll, Offers Alliance By Anatoly Verbin SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria handed a resounding victory in a parliamentary poll on Sunday to a new movement led by former king Simeon II, giving it more votes than the two previous power-holders put together. ``After today, Bulgaria is different, the visibly elated Simeon told a news conference. ``Together, we are embarking on a path of economic and moral renovation. It will not be an easy one, there will be many obstacles but we will not give up. Prime Minister Ivan Kostov admitted his UDF party had suffered ``a heavy election defeat. Simeon's camp said their projections gave the movement 43 percent. A similar figure was given by most exit polls. This would translate into at least 117 seats in the 240-member parliament, but further counts may hand Simeon's supporters an absolute majority, said Miroslav Sevlievski, one of the king's senior aides. He said the ruling UDF and the Socialist Party of ex-communists were running level on 18 percent each. Exit polls gave the UDF-led coalition slightly above 20 percent, leaving the Socialists behind. The MRF party, drawn from Bulgaria's 10 percent ethnic Turkish minority, was a distant third. One other party was on the verge of the required four percent threshold to enter parliament. COALITION OFFER Simeon denies he is bidding to restore the monarchy but the Balkan state of eight million people has become the first in eastern Europe where an ex-monarch has made a political comeback after communism. Despite the apparently big victory, Simeon said he favored the formation of a broad coalition government. But he said it would be with those who shared his priorities. Those were speedy economic growth, a drive to join the European Union and NATO and a resolute fight against corruption. He did not name any possible partners, saying that talks would start after final election results. Earlier, both the king's camp and the MRF party said they were ready for an alliance. Under current projections, they would have enough seats between them to get legislation through parliament. Allegations of top level corruption and plunging living standards, despite good macro-economic results, have undermined the popularity of the UDF government. ``We have taken a lot of unpopular decisions and also made mistakes, Kostov told a news conference. ``We wanted the voter to pay a higher price than he was prepared to pay. Kostov has called the ex-king's socially-oriented program ''wild populism.'' His camp waged a fierce anti-Simeon campaign but the king's movement has said it is nevertheless prepared to form a coalition with the UDF. In the run-up to the vote, Kostov had dismissed the idea of a broad coalition, saying it would put all parties in power and leave the Bulgarian people in opposition. But his top aides appeared to be split on Sunday. Popular Sofia mayor Stefan Sofianski told Reuters a broad coalition was ``the best option for Bulgaria. Dimitar Abadzhiev, deputy chairman of the UDF executive council, said however it was ``too early to decide. WILL KOSTOV AGREE? If there is no clear majority, Bulgaria may lose its image as the most politically stable country in the Balkans, a region rocked by 10 years of wars and unrest. Insiders have said that Kostov, a strong-willed and ambitious leader, might opt for heading a strong opposition to Simeon with an eye to an early election. But Sofianski, moderate and popular, might accept a compromise, splitting the UDF. Official results for parties and coalitions are due within four days, and for individual seats in seven days. Simeon was exiled from Bulgaria at the age of nine -- three years after acceding to the throne -- after a rigged referendum abolished the monarchy in 1946. He ran a consultancy in Madrid before entering politics in his homeland in April. On Sunday, a day after turning 64, he voted for the first time in his life to a hero's welcome in a Sofia suburb. Simeon was not running personally, and has not said how he sees his future role. Nikolai Vasiliev, head of the movement's economic team, said on Sunday he was equally likely to become prime minister or to remain behind the scenes. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
