President Swears In New Prime Minister

Bulgaria’s president swore in a caretaker premier and set elections for April 19--bringing an end to two years of Socialist rule that ruined the nation’s economy. New Premier Stefan Sofiyanski, a popular economist, built a solid reputation as mayor of Sofia despite the country’s economic troubles. His interim government must now try to correct hyper-inflation and a sharp drop in living standards, which brought street protests that helped bring down the Socialists. Listing the tasks facing the caretaker Cabinet, President Petar Stoyanov called for measures to halt crime and “purge the administration of corrupt officials.”