Socialists OK Early Elections in Bulgaria

This country’s former Communists gave up their battle to hold on to power Tuesday, agreeing to early elections after 30 days of protests against their rule. Elated residents of the capital threw a citywide street party in celebration, dancing, honking horns and crying “Victory!”

The Socialists’ concession evaporated tension that had been mounting daily while the political stalemate prevented the Balkan country from handling its desperate economic problems.

President Petar Stoyanov, who brokered Tuesday’s early election agreement in a nearly four-hour emergency meeting, called it “historic” and said: “We were never so close to civil war.”

About 100,000 people converged on central Cathedral Square, where the opposition has been holding daily rallies, and exploded in roars and cheers when they heard the news. Sofia’s streets echoed with their chants, whoops and whistles.

“It’s wonderful!” rejoiced Gergana Doychinova, one of thousands of students who danced around bonfires in the streets. “It means freedom . . . bread, meat, everything.”

But Stoyanov warned that Bulgaria’s hard times were not over. “Reforms are ahead, and a new social price has to be paid,” he warned. “Difficulties are ahead of us.”

Bulgarians accuse the Socialists of running the economy into the ground during two years of government in which they failed to implement economic reforms and stop hyper-inflation that has plunged most people into poverty.

The previous Socialist government resigned in December. But as the largest party in parliament, the Socialists had insisted on their right to form a new government and remain in power.

Throughout the day Tuesday, protesters had wandered through Sofia, gathering outside as Stoyanov met with leaders of all political parties and Nikolai Dobrev, the premier-designate of the ruling Socialist Party.

State radio said all parties had agreed to hold elections in April instead of far later this year as scheduled, meaning that parliament will dissolve within days to allow Stoyanov to call elections.

Dobrev was to have presented his Cabinet to Stoyanov on Tuesday, and a vote in Parliament had been expected today. After meeting for an hour, though, the two decided to halt formation of a new government.