site.btaUPDATED CC-DB Declaration on Law Criminalizing Communist Regime in 2000 Causes Tension in Parliament

Parliament Deputy Chairman Atanas Atanassov, one of the leaders of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition, Thursday read a declaration in which CC-DB recalled that a law criminalizing the communist regime was enacted in 2000 and is still in force. Reacting to the declaration, MPs of BSP for Bulgaria, including Floor Leader Borislav Gutsanov, stood on both sides of the rostrum while Atanassov was speaking. Parliament Chair Raya Nazaryan announced a 10-minute break for order to be restored.

The tension was caused by Wednesday's decision of the caretaker cabinet to propose to President Rumen Radev to award Bulgaria's highest distinction, the Order of the Balkan Range, First Class, to Georgi Yordanov for his great services to culture and art. Yordanov, who turned 90 in May, was a prominent functionary of the Bulgarian Communist Party. He was MP between 1971 and 1990, chairman of the Committee on Culture, and minister of culture, science and education.

The tension in plenary continued after the break as MPs traded recriminations of links with the Communist Party before 1989 when the transition to democracy began.

Atanassov told the MPs of BSP for Bulgaria: "Democracy means being tolerant of one's opponents." He also said Bulgarians should be aware of events that took place during the 45-year communist regime established on September 9, 1944, which issued more than 2,000 death sentences.

Addressing GERB-UDF, Atanassov voiced indignation at the decision of the caretaker cabinet led by GERB's Dimitar Glavchev. The CC-DB co-leader urged GERB-UDF to distance themselves from their former MP and Parliament chairman.

Socialist MP Ivan Chenchev retorted that all artistic unions in Bulgaria had proposed the distinction for Yordanov, saying that he was "an indisputable cultural figure" who had received many state honours after 1989.

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said it was a pity to hear a worthy Bulgarian like Georgi Yordanov reviled. He said the totalitarian regime had created Atanassov himself, adding that "an old Communist like him" should know better.

Socialist MP Georgi Svilenski said that Atanassov had served the totalitarian regime in his capacity as prosecutor and that he was trying to malign a highly respected cultural figure.

To this, Atanassov reacted by saying that he had never been a member of the Communist Party.