Bulgaria Will Hold National Election Oct. 13
President Zhelyu Zhelev announced national parliamentary balloting for Oct. 13 and appointed an independent judge to head the election commission, newspapers reported Saturday.
Zhelev had earlier scheduled the elections, including municipal balloting, for Sept. 29, but preparations had to be delayed after he vetoed a balloting law passed by the Socialist-dominated Parliament.
The new election law was finally adopted Thursday, but the Socialists--the renamed Communists--prevailed in including a provision that restricted the right of the estimated 500,000 Bulgarian citizens abroad to vote. Zhelev objected to the provision, but under Bulgarian law, he could not veto the measure a second time.
Most of the emigres are young people who left in disappointment over the election victory of the Socialists in June, 1990. That balloting was set up by Communist reformers who in November, 1989, ousted Communist dictator Todor Zhivkov amid the popular upheaval that toppled hard-liners throughout Eastern Europe.
Zhelev also appointed the new Central Election Commission on Friday, following an agreement of all political forces.
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