Bulgaria’s Opposition, President Reject Socialists’ Offer of Coalition Talks

A fresh offer by Bulgaria’s ruling Socialists for talks on a coalition government was rejected Sunday, and the party now looks set to form an all-Socialist Cabinet despite widespread opposition.

Both the main opposition Union of Democratic Forces and President Petar Stoyanov quickly slammed the door on talks unless the Socialists first gave back the mandate they received last week to form a new Cabinet.

A UDF spokeswoman said discussions could take place only after the Socialists returned their mandate. A presidential spokesman said the president could not broker talks between political parties while the Socialists still held the mandate.

In proposing coalition talks Sunday, Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov said that if his offer were turned down then the Socialists would announce their new Cabinet this afternoon. It would be voted on in parliament Tuesday.

During a six-hour meeting of Socialist leaders Sunday, student protesters surrounded the party headquarters chanting anti-Communist slogans.

They brandished effigies of Parvanov and Interior Minister Nikolai Dobrev, the party’s nominee for prime minister.

Opposition and student protesters demanding an immediate general election staged a 28th day of strikes, rallies and blockades around the country Sunday.

At Dupnitsa, 35 miles south of Sofia, the capital, several hundred opposition supporters blocked road and rail links to Greece for a fifth day.

In Sofia, students blocked road junctions and calmly set up chessboards or played cards on tramlines.