2 July 1993

Doc.  6893

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

on the current situation in Bulgaria

presented by Mr TARSCHYS and others

1.       In February 1993, 28 members of the Assembly submitted a written declaration (Doc. 6778) expressing concern over certain revisionist tendencies in Bulgaria's political development.

2.       Over the past several months these tendencies have increased as can be judged from the following facts:

i.       revision of the laws promoting decommunisation, passed by this very same National Assembly one year ago;

ii.       inclusion in the legislative programme of undemocratic projects of bills curbing the rights and freedoms of citizens and of local government;

iii.       politically motivated dismissals from office of highly qualified experts appointed to the government structures only a year ago and their replacement with discredited communist officials, among them deputy ministers, heads of departments, presidents of committees with the Council of Ministers, district governors and senior police and army officers;

iv.       imposition of a partial information ban on the coverage of certain political events and dismissal from office of leading figures in the media such as the director of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the director of the largest printing and publishing complex in the country and the director general of the state television;

v.       beating of the former president of the National Assembly, Mr Stefan Savov, on 13 May by officers of the antiterrorist squad during a legitimate rally of the citizens of Sofia, protesting against the national budget proposed by the government.

3.       Considering that these disturbing events in Bulgaria's political life are accompanied by a slowing down of economic reforms and a blocking of agreements with international financial institutions, the Parliamentary Assembly:

i.       expresses concern over the political and economic situation in Bulgaria;

ii.       appeals to the Bulgarian state institutions to refrain from actions and from adopting legislation that may violate the requirements for membership in the Council of Europe and may bring about a revival of certain principles of communist rule in the country, which are contrary to the commitments at the accession to the Council of Europe;

iii.       looks forward to considering reports monitoring these developments, in accordance with Doc. 6882.

Signed: Tarschys, Foschi, Dimmer, Columberg, Berg, Jung, Soell, König, Karcsay, Psaila Savona, Baumel, Bender, Grzeskowiak, Bratinka, Panov, Gotzev, Pilarski, Moczulski, Kelchtermans, Fischer, Böhm, Landsbergis, Gottardo, Bondevik, Eversdjik, Efraimoglou, Oehry, Toshev, Valleix, Kaspereit, Rathbone, Willoch, B. Bjarnason