Zhivkov Out in Bulgaria as Leader

Parliament dumped Todor Zhivkov as head of state today, and a deputy told the legislature’s first televised session the ousted Communist Party chief had amassed a fortune in 35 years of secretive leadership.

Zhivkov was replaced by Petar Mladenov, who became party leader a week ago when Zhivkov was forced out of that post. Mladenov, formerly foreign minister, spoke in his acceptance speech of radical political and economic changes, but was not specific.

About 10,000 people jammed a state-sponsored rally in downtown Sofia. They carried banners praising perestroika, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s catchword for reform, and chanted “Zhivkov to court!” demanding that the former leader be tried.

About 500 people, most of them university students, held an unofficial demonstration later outside the National Museum on Vitosha Boulevard, chanting “We want democracy!” and “Down with the murderers!”

They called out the names of Gorbachev and Mladenov, marched down the boulevard and then dispersed, calling “See you tomorrow” to one another.

An unofficial rally planned for Saturday appears to have been given official approval.

The 400-member National Assembly voted unanimously by a show of hands to dismiss Zhivkov as head of state, then again to replace him with Mladenov.

In an unusually frank debate, deputies praised Mladenov’s “enthusiasm” for reform and criticized Zhivkov.

Deputy Slavcho Trnski accused the former Communist Party chief of indulging in a “flamboyant life style” while Bulgaria fell into economic crisis.”

He said Zhivkov owned 30 homes, was “hungry for fame” and had retained power through a policy of “divide and rule.”

The deputy also demanded an investigation of alleged misuse of funds by Zhivkov’s son, Vladimir, who was removed from the Central Committee on Thursday and is rumored to be involved in several scandals.