Government (Bulgaria)
=====================


     Names:
      conventional long form:
       Republic of Bulgaria
      conventional short form:
       Bulgaria
     Digraph:
       BU
     Type:
       emerging democracy
     Capital:
       Sofia
     Administrative divisions:
       9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo,
       Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofiya, Varna
     Independence:
       22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
     Constitution:
       adopted 12 July 1991
     Legal system:
       based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; has accepted
       compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
     National holiday:
       3 March (1878)
     Political parties and leaders:
       Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), Filip DIMITROV, chairman, an alliance of
       approximately 20 pro-Democratic parties including United Democratic Center,
       Democratic Party, Radical Democratic Party, Christian Democratic Union,
       Alternative Social Liberal Party, Republican Party, Civic Initiative
       Movement, Union of the Repressed, and about a dozen other groups; Movement
       for Rights and Freedoms (ethnic Turkish party) (MRF), Ahmed DOGAN, chairman;
       Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Zhan VIDENOV, chairman
     Other political or pressure groups:
       Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union;
       Bulgarian Democratic Youth (formerly Communist Youth Union); Confederation
       of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB); Nationwide Committee for
       Defense of National Interests; Peasant Youth League; Bulgarian Agrarian
       National Union - United (BZNS); Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov"
       Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
       Organization - Union of Macedonian Societies (IMRO-UMS); numerous regional,
       ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
     Suffrage:
       18 years of age; universal and compulsory
     Elections:
      President:
       last held January 1992; results - Zhelyu ZHELEV was elected by popular vote
      National Assembly:
       last held 13 October 1991; results - UDF 34%, BSP 33%, MRF 7.5%; seats -
       (240 total) UDF 110, BSP 106, Movement for Rights and Freedoms 24
     Executive branch:   president, chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister), three
       deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
     Legislative branch:
       unicameral National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie)
     Judicial branch:
       Supreme Court, Constitutional Court
     Leaders:
      Chief of State:
       President Zhelyu Mitev ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990); Vice President Blaga
       Nikolova DIMITROVA (since NA)