NID: BULGARIA: RESURGENCE OF OPPOSITION PARTY

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe: A 30-Year Legacy
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06826804
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2019
• Publication Date: December 4, 1989

Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826804
To
NR Record
BULGARIA: Resurgence of Oppnsition Party
The old-line leaders of Bulgaria's Agrarian Party, long subservient
to the Communist Party, resigned at a party meeting Saturday,
clearing the way for the resurgence of a genuine opposition to
the ruling Communists. Speakers at the Saturday session demanded
that the party act as an opponent equal to the Communist Party.
Nevertheless, the new leader. Angel Dimitrov, is himself a longtime
member of the Agrarian leadership.
Comment: The Agrarian Party�which ruled Bulgaria in the I 920s�
poses a potentially serious challenge to the Communist Party's power.
The extent of the challenge may depend on the ability of the new
leaders to remain in power. Many members probably will perceive
the leadership changes as cosmetic and could agitate for younger,
more militant leaders undaunted by links to the Zhivkov regime.
Even Dimitrov and his allies, however, probably will press recently
installed General Secretary Mladenov to address the issues of
pluralism and free elections sooner than he had planned. Mladenov
for his part almost certainly will seek to avoid actual power sharing,
probably citing the Agrarian Party's resurgence as evidence of his
support for pluralism.
10
TCS 298d7-
4 December 1989
Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826804