site.btaBulgarian Socialist Party Holds 50th Congress

September 27 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)
held its 50th Congress at Sofia's National Palace of Culture on
Saturday and Sunday. A total of 793 delegates registered as
present at the forum, out of the 976
elected delegates.

On Saturday in her political report to the congress, BSP leader
Kornelia
Ninova, who was recently re-elected to the post in the first
direct elections in the party's history, said that she will work
 to make the BSP the top political force in Bulgaria. Ninova
reported on BSP's achievements in the past four years. She said
that socialists' parliamentary group translated the party's
programme into real legislative actions, worked very actively
and deserves the high mark of the congress and of the BSP.

Ninova said that "in the past four years Bulgaria has been
governed by a new coalition, which officially constitutes GERB
and the United Patriots, but in reality enjoys the unofficial
support of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and of the
obsequious Volya party".

In Ninova's words, at the moment only the BSP is ready with a
full alternative plan for governing Bulgaria. "We can claim that
 we are authentic carriers of change," she said. The BSP leader
noted that the party does not want to "ride the wave" of the
ongoing anti-government protest rallies but supports them.

She reiterated her view that the incumbent Parliament has
exhausted itself and is unable to guarantee the stability of the
 State.

Ninova said that Bulgaria is in a deep political and
institutional crisis, and a crisis of confidence of the people
in governance. Furthermore, this country is on the brink of a
horrific economic and social crisis, she said.

The BSP's goal is to provide stability, ensure security and
peace of mind to the Bulgarians, to give them prospects to
create a country governed by the rule of law, a democratic and
social Bulgaria. Ninova said that the steps towards this goal
are reaching out to all left-minded, progressive, non-partisan,
and honest Bulgarians who love their country, creating a broad
front of like-minded people who want change, and elections that
are going to be a landslide victory for the BSP.

The Congress elected a new 187-member National Council. Krum
Zarkov received the most votes (487), followed by Yanaki
Stoilov, Georgi Svilenski, Rumen Gechev, Alexander Simov, and
Kristian Vigenin.

Prominent party members such as PES President Sergei Stanishev,
Georgi Pirinski, Krassimir Yankov, Valery Zhablyanov, Angel
Naydenov, Atanas Merdzhanov and Yuriy Aslanov  were not elected
to the governing body.

On Sunday, the Congress adopted a resolution, entitled
"Socialism 21st Century" for a new party programe under the new
conditions, which will be approved at an-all party referendum.

Also, the delegates adopted a resolution against the instances
and advance of neo-fascism and neo-Nazism and a political
declaration on the political priorities of BSP.

According to the declaration, the BSP is a genuine, authentic
and patriotic left party, with a 130-year long tradition and its
 natural strategic priorities are firstly a recovery of
democracy and the trust in the institutions and secondly of
normal economic relations and opportunities for everyone.

In her concluding remarks, BSP leader Kornelia Ninova set the
course for victory in the general elections. RY/PP.


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