Bulgarian Socialists Name New Cabinet
Bulgaria’s ruling Socialist Party named a new government Monday, risking violence from struggling citizens who have demonstrated daily over the country’s economic chaos.
Tensions were high Monday as the Socialists--the Communists’ successors--ignored pointed suggestions by the president to surrender their mandate to govern.
Traffic came to a complete standstill in Sofia, the capital, as public transport workers went on strike and students blocked key intersections.
Efforts to resolve hyper-inflation and plummeting wages in Bulgaria have been paralyzed by political disputes over whether the Socialists would continue to rule.
A previous Socialist government resigned in December, but because the party is the largest in parliament, it legally had another chance to form a government.
On Monday, Socialist Party leaders overwhelmingly approved a proposed Cabinet under Prime Minister-designate Nikolai Dobrev. Dobrev must now present his proposed Cabinet to President Petar Stoyanov, who will call parliament for a vote, probably Wednesday.
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