Palestine Self-Determination:
UN Bid Heralds Death of Palestine’s Old Guard
New leaders will spurn two states
By Jonathan Cook
URL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=26776
Global Research, September 26, 2011
Amid
the enthusiastic applause in New York and the celebrations in Ramallah,
it was easy to believe -- if only a for minute -- that, after decades
of obstruction by Israel and the United States, a Palestinian state
might finally be pulled out of the United Nations hat. Will the world’s
conscience be midwife to a new era ending Israel's occupation of the
Palestinians?
It seems not.
The
Palestinian application, handed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
last week, has now disappeared from view -- for weeks, it seems -- while
the United States and Israel devise a face-saving formula to kill it in
the Security Council. Behind the scenes, the pair are strong-arming the
Council’s members to block Palestinian statehood without the need for
the US to cast its threatened veto.
Whether
or not President Barack Obama wields the knife with his own hand, no
one is under any illusion that Washington and Israel are responsible for
the formal demise of the peace process. In revealing to the world its
hypocrisy on the Middle East, the US has ensured both that the Arab
publics are infuriated and that the Palestinians will jump ship on the
two-state solution.
But
there was one significant victory at the UN for Mahmoud Abbas, the head
of the Palestinian Authority, even if it was not the one he sought. He
will not achieve statehood for his people at the world body, but he has
fatally discredited the US as the arbiter of a Middle East peace.
In
telling the Palestinians there was “no shortcut” to statehood -- after
they have already waited more than six decades for justice -- the US
President revealed his country as incapable of offering moral leadership
on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If Obama is this
craven to Israel, what better reception can the Palestinians hope to
receive from a future US leader?
One
guest at the UN had the nerve to politely point this out in his speech.
Nicholas Sarkozy, the French president who himself appears to be
wavering from his original support for a Palestinian state, warned that
US control of the peace process needed to end.
“We
must stop believing that a single country, even the largest, or a small
group of countries can resolve so complex a problem,” he told the
General Assembly. His suggestion was for a more active role for Europe
and the Arab states at peace with Israel.
Sarkozy
appeared to have overlooked the fact that responsibility for solving
the conflict was widened in much this way in 2002 with the creation of
the Quartet, comprising the US, the European Union, Russia and the
United Nations.
The
Quartet’s formation was necessary because the US and Israel realised
that the Palestinian leadership would not continue playing the peace
process game if oversight remained exclusively with Washington,
following the Palestinians' betrayal by President Bill Clinton at Camp
David in 2000. The Quartet’s job was to restore Palestinian faith in --
and buy a few more years for -- the Oslo process.
However,
the Quartet quickly discredited itself too, not least because its
officials never strayed far from the Israeli-Washington consensus. Last
week senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath spoke for most
Palestinians when he accused the Quartet’s envoy, Tony Blair, of
sounding like an “Israeli diplomat” as he sought to dissuade Abbas from
applying for statehood.
And
true to form, the Quartet responded to the Palestinians’ UN application
by limply offering Abbas instead more of the same tired talks that have
gone nowhere for two decades.
The
Palestinian leadership’s move to the UN, effectively bypassing the
Quartet, widens the circle of responsibility for Middle East peace yet
further. It also neatly brings the Palestinians’ 63-year plight back to
the world body.
But
Abbas’ application also exposes the UN’s powerlessness to intervene in
an effective way. Statehood depends on a successful referral to the
Security Council, which is dominated by the US. The General Assembly may
be more sympathetic but it can confer no more than a symbolic upgrading
of Palestine’s status, putting it on a par with the Vatican.
So
the Palestinian leadership is stuck. Abbas has run out of institutional
addresses for helping him to establish a state alongside Israel. And
that means there is a third casualty of the statehood bid – the
Palestinian Authority. The PA was the fruit of the Oslo process, and
will wither without its sustenance.
Instead
we are entering a new phase of the conflict in which the US, Europe,
and the UN will have only a marginal part to play. The Palestinian old
guard are about to be challenged by a new generation that is tired of
the formal structures of diplomacy that pander to Israel’s interests
only.
The
young new Palestinian leaders are familiar with social media, are
better equipped to organise a popular mass movement, and refuse to be
bound by the borders that encaged their parents and grandparents. Their
assessment is that the PA – and even the Palestinians’ unrepresentative
supra-body, the PLO – are part of the problem, not the solution.
Till
now they have remained largely deferential to their elders, but that
trust is fast waning. Educated and alienated, they are looking for new
answers to an old problem.
They
will not be seeking them from the countries and institutions that have
repeatedly confirmed their complicity in sustaining the Palestinian
people’s misery. The new leaders will appeal over the heads of the
gatekeepers, turning to the court of global public opinion. Polls show
that in Europe and the US, ordinary people are far more sympathetic to
the Palestinian cause than their governments.
The
first shoots of this revolution in Palestinian politics were evident in
the youth movement that earlier this year frightened Abbas’ Fatah party
and Hamas into creating a semblance of unity. These youngsters, now
shorn of the distracting illusion of Palestinian statehood, will
redirect their energies into an anti-apartheid struggle, using the tools
of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience. Their rallying cry
will be one person-one vote in the single state Israel rules over.
Global
support will be translated into a rapid intensification of the boycott
and sanctions movement. Israel’s legitimacy and the credibility of its
dubious claim to being a democracy are likely to take yet more of a
hammering.
Events
at the UN are creating a new clarity for Palestinians, reminding them
that there can be no self-determination until they liberate themselves
from the legacy of colonialism and the self-serving illusions of the
ageing notables who now lead them. The old men in suits have had their
day.
Jonathan Cook
won this year's Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His
latest books are “Israel and the Clash of Civilisations: Iraq, Iran and
the Plan to Remake the Middle East” (Pluto Press) and “Disappearing
Palestine: Israel's Experiments in Human Despair” (Zed Books). His
website is www.jkcook.net.
Geopolitical Journey: Iran at a Crossroads
Geopolitically, a trip to Iran could not come at a better time. Iran is
an emerging power seeking to exploit the vacuum created by the departure
of U.S. troops from Iraq, which is scheduled to conclude in a little
more than three months. Tehran also plays a major role along its eastern
border, where Washington is seeking a political settlement with the
Taliban to facilitate a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Islamic republic simultaneously is trying to steer popular unrest in the Arab world in its favor. That unrest in turn has significant implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue in which Iran has successfully inserted itself over the years. The question of the U.S.-Iranian relationship also looms — does accommodation or confrontation lie ahead? At the same time the Iranian state — a unique hybrid of Shiite theocracy and Western republicanism — is experiencing intense domestic power struggles.
This is the geopolitical context in which I arrived at Imam Khomeini International airport late Sept. 16. Along with several hundred foreign guests, I had been invited to attend a Sept. 17-18 event dubbed the “Islamic Awakening” conference, organized by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Given the state of Iranian-Western ties and my position as a senior analyst with a leading U.S.-based private intelligence company, the invitation came as surprise. Read more »
The Islamic republic simultaneously is trying to steer popular unrest in the Arab world in its favor. That unrest in turn has significant implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue in which Iran has successfully inserted itself over the years. The question of the U.S.-Iranian relationship also looms — does accommodation or confrontation lie ahead? At the same time the Iranian state — a unique hybrid of Shiite theocracy and Western republicanism — is experiencing intense domestic power struggles.
This is the geopolitical context in which I arrived at Imam Khomeini International airport late Sept. 16. Along with several hundred foreign guests, I had been invited to attend a Sept. 17-18 event dubbed the “Islamic Awakening” conference, organized by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Given the state of Iranian-Western ties and my position as a senior analyst with a leading U.S.-based private intelligence company, the invitation came as surprise. Read more »
Dispatch: Poland's Ascent in Central Europe
Analyst Eugene Chausovsky discusses the challenges and constraints facing Poland as it emerges as a leader of central Europe. Watch the Video »
Ricardo Gama
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- g do Ricardo Gama ao vivo 26-09-2011 comenta caos no Hospital Estadual Adão Pereira Nunes em Saracuruna
- Ao vivo no blog a partir das 22:30 horas, participe, mandando idéias, sugestões e denúncias
- Depois de usar o dinheiro do povo para ajudar a bancar o Rock in Rio o Prefeito Eduardo Paes se diverte com a esposa no evento
- Por que o Prefeito Eduardo Paes PROIBIU os táxis de atender o público do Rock in Rio ?
- Sérgio Cabral manda a Polícia Militar trabalhar para o Rock in Rio ajudando a pegar "penetras", como assim ?
- Onda de furtos chegou até a sala de imprensa do Rock in Rio
- TORTURA DA SUPERVIA: Na hora do rush, trens no Rio de Janeiro apertam 8 passageiros onde cabem 4
- DESCASO COM O PÚBLICO: Segurança, filas e sujeira geram queixas na 1ª semana de Rock in Rio
- Organização do festival do Rock in Rio terá de explicar à Decon proibição da entrada de pessoas com lanches no local
- Público do Rock in Rio caminha 5km para pegar táxi. Taxistas realizaram manifestação
- Promotora pede mais apuração sobre área de UPP
- Sérgio Cabral não garante segurança, e violência faz UPA da Maré fechar
- O DESCADO DO EDUARDO PAES: Comissão da Câmara constata que pacientes idosos eram mantidos nas emergências de seis hospitais
- DESCASO TOTAL: Mulher morre 12 horas depois de ser liberada do Hospital de Saracuruna
- DESCASO TOTAL: Relatório da Secretaria de Fazenda mostra que Governo Sérgio Cabral investiu apenas R$ 564,80 na Central de Regulação este ano
- Rede Globo já planeja propaganda milionária com Roberto Carlos para as UPP's de Sérgio Cabral
- Prefeito Eduardo Paes PROIBIU os táxis no Rock in Rio para ajufar as epresas de ônibus, e aí ?
- Gardênia Azul terra de milíicia, Eduardo Paes já está em campanha eleitoral com todo apoio "dos amigos"
- Blog do Ricardo Gama ao vivo 25-09-2011 comentando assalto em hostel no Leme
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Weather: Sofia: min 8°, max 24° Varna: min 13°, max 24° |
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27 Sep 2011, Issue 3220
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Brazil's Bulgaria-descended President Dilma Rousseff will visit the architectural-ethnographic complex Etara, near the central city of Gabrovo, during her upcoming trip her father's native country. | read | |
The outbursts of violence in Bulgaria's Plovdiv and the village of Katunitsa are not ethnic-based but "personal", President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov declared jointly. | read | |
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| · Forum · Business · Finance · Energy · Industry · Diplomacy · Defense · Bulgaria in EU · Domestic · Presidental & Local Elections 2011 · Society · Education · Culture · Obituaries · Sports · Crime · Lifestyle · Editorial | ||||||
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POLICE BUST MORE THAN 100 IN BULGARIA FOR VIOLENCE IN 'ROMA PROTESTS' NIGHT
More than 100 people in total have been arrested by the police in several Bulgarian cities after a wave of small-scale but vigorous rallies Monday night. The protesters rallied against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro – but also because of the "Roma issue", i.e. what they see as a "privileged situation" of the Roma minority in Bulgaria. Some 3000 came together in Plovdiv, and another 1000 were in Sofia and Varna, with smaller rallies in several other cities. The protesters – who included football fan clubs and far-right groups, according to the police – clashed with riot police, gendarmerie and Civic Protection officers in Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, and Pleven, with attempts being made in some cities to storm Roma-populated quarters. Meanwhile, Roma population across the country awaited attacks, armed with shovels, axes, sticks, and guns at some spots, if protester accounts are to be trusted. A brief skirmish between protesters and armed Roma from the Maxuda quarter in Varna was interrupted by the police. Two police officers were wounded in Sofia during the clashes, Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told Darik Radio overnight. Georgiev also announced that the youngest detainee was a 12-year-old kid who was busted for throwing stones at the police, and that his parents will be held accountable for his actions. According to the Chief Secretary, Kostadin Kostadin, deputy chair of the nationalist party VMRO was arrested during the clashes in Varna but was later release because he is a candidate for mayor. "Females have also been arrested. Most of the detainees are high school students. The detainees are primarily radical extremists or football hooligans," Georgiev claimed, stressing that protest rallies in several cities – including Stara Zagora, Pernik, Vratsa, and Blagoevgrad – went without any clashes. 47 people were arrested in Plovdiv Monday night, another 2 in Burgas, as well as 8 in Pleven, where the police prevented radical extremists from storming a Roma-populated quarter who then tried to enter the nearby village of Bukovlak, which has massive Roma population. Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev also revealed that protesters tried to sabotage the actions of the police by making fake calls to emergency numbers 112 and 166 in order to divert police forces and escalate tensions. "There is increase police presence all over the country. The institutions of the Interior Ministry are uncompromising against any instance of intolerance and any case of violation of the public order," Georgiev declared. Tensions across major Bulgarian cities grew Monday night as a result of protest rallies across the country, after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. Tensions escalated all over Plovdiv Monday night in spite of the relative calm that appeared to have set earlier on Monday after President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov visited the city, and community leaders of the local ethnic Roma and ethnic Turks voiced messages for tolerance and ethnic peace. 
PM: IMPUNITY WILL STOP WITH BULGARIAN-ROMA VIOLENCE Impunity in Bulgaria is not going to continue, according to Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. Borisov spoke Monday morning in a phone interview for the TV channel bTV, commenting on tensions between ethnic Bulgarians and Roma in the village of Katunitsa in southern Bulgaria, which spread Sunday to the second largest city of Plovdiv. "It does not matter if we like each other or not – we will have to live together and there is no other alternative," Borisov stressed. He informed that Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, had ordered a probe of the real estate properties and assets of notorious Katunitsa Roma boss, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro, 10 days ago, before the incidents in the village, but declined offering further details on the grounds the investigation involves classified information related to a possible tax crime. The PM only said the probe includes Rashkov and 10 other individuals. "The probe will not be good for them, but I do not want to comment any further. People should rest assured that Tsar Kiro will not continue to live the way he had been doing it in the last 22 years. I would not offer any more details, because there are Roma and Bulgarians, Muslims and Christians, who are doing things that the law permits, but morals reject. I am deeply saddened by the death of the two boys," Borisov explained. When asked if the passiveness of the State had been the reason for the violence, the PM replied the notion of State is too vague and all three – the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor's Office and the Court have their own responsibilities along with all authorities, who, for a long time, closed their eyes when Tsar Kiro was selling illegal alcohol. "I am convinced this is going to end here. As far as political comments on the incidents – if this is a way to win elections in Bulgaria, the future of the country looks quite gloomy. There are so many things we need to work on – 20 plus years of missed time. No, my fault – from the time of the Socialist regime, since Roma should have never been moved to these ghettos. Their group is a huge problem for the State because they are the majority of our unemployed and uneducated citizens," Borisov concluded. The interview came on the backdrop of information that tensions in Katunitsa are slowly subsiding and the situation remained calm Sunday night into Monday. Nevertheless, hundreds of police and firefighters are still in the village, guarding all possible points where conflicts can arise. A number of Katunitsa residents are quoted saying the protests will last until the family of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro is deported and the law is applied fully. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Rashkov's Roma associates from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insists his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. It was reported meanwhile that President, Georgi Parvanov, is attending Monday a work meeting in Plovdiv dedicated to the tensions in Katunitsa. The Chief of the Plovdiv police, Commissar, Todor Chonov, the Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv, Alexander Dolev, and the Deputy Governor of the Plovdiv Region, Georgi Ignatov, are also going to participate in the debate. Parvanov cancelled his previously scheduled agenda for Monday in order to visit Plovdiv. BULGARIA'S IKEA STORE GETS ALMOST 100 000 SHOPPERS IN 1ST WEEKEND Close to 100 000 shoppers visited the first ever Bulgarian IKEA store during its first weekend, IKEA Bulgaria announced Monday. The store, which got about 17 000 clients on its opening day, was formally launched on September 20, 2011. It is located on the Sofia beltway. IKEA Bulgaria said that over the first weekend the store's furniture and accessories enjoyed massive interest, with coaches being an unexpected hit. The IKEA sector for kids also enjoyed much popularity. The company also said there have been no issues with parking, which was earlier suspected to become a potential issue as the ring road in Sofia is still to be expanded. IKEA Bulgaria reminds that it expects 1.5 million shoppers in its Sofia store during its first year. IKEA Sofia employs 330 people, and the company says the number of its employees is to grow as it is to expand in Bulgaria. IKEA Bulgaria is a franchise of the Greek Fourlis company, which also has the IKEA rights for Greece and Cyprus. 'INEXPLICABLE' DELAY IN ROMA BOSS INSPECTION BAFFLES BULGARIAN TAX BODY Notorious Bulgarian Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, was supposed to be inspected by the tax authorities last year but the inspection somehow got delayed, announced Krasimir Stefanov, Director of the National Revenue Agency. Rashkov, who is known as "tsar" because of his wealth, attracted public attention over the weekend after some of his associates ran over and killed an ethnic Bulgarian boy, 19-year-old Angel Petrov, in the village of Katunitsa. The incident spurred mass protests against his family and nearly led to large-scale ethnic clashes in the nearby city of Plovdiv on Sunday. "Kiril Rashkov and his wife were included in the list of the National Revenue Agency last year but no inspections have been undertaken for reasons that are inexplicable," tax agency head Stefanov told the Bulgarian National Radio Monday. He did refute, however, the allegations that Rashkov enjoyed a political cover-up in the central government. Stefanov further announced that the tax authority has started to investigate all tax inspectors in the District of Plovdiv in order to figure out why Tsar Kiro's assets and income have not been checked yet. "I hope that this inaction is not the result of corruption. However, if corruption or negligence are established, the respective persons will be fired," said the top-ranking civil servant. He also explained the tax authorities have started to inspect the assets of Kiril Rashkov, his wife, as well as 13 other persons from his family, and six firms. In his words, however, the tax inspectors are working with the available documents, while the Rashkov clan formally does not own anything according to the tax register. In addition, Stefanov announced the tax authorities will impose a distraint on Rashkov's assets for the duration of the check. "Even the slightest evidence of tax evasion will be turned over to the Prosecutor's Office. The Commission for seizing illegally acquired assets should also be notified," the top tax official stated. Locals in the village of Katunitsa have protested against the status of Tsar Kiro, claiming he is extremely rich without have any legal sources of income, and without paying any taxes. Rashkov is reported to be dealing with illegal production of fake alcohol as well as with prostitution and pickpocket rings operating across Europe. None of these reports have been confirmed by the police. BULGARIA SHUTS 20-YEAR-OLD KOZLODUY NPP REACTOR FOR REPAIRS One of the two 1000 MW reactors of the Bulgarian nuclear power plant "Kozloduy" has been switched off for repairs, the NPP announced. The temporary termination of operations by Unit 6 has been scheduled and coordinated with the Electricity System Operator (ESO), which provides for operational planning and control of the power system in Bulgaria. Unit 6 of the Kozloduy NPP is planned to be switched back on at the end of October. In the fall of 2010, the reactor underwent a longer than expected maintenance period. In the addition to regular maintenance procedures and improvements, the NPP will recharge the reactor with fresh nuclear fuel. The only other operational reactor at Kozlody, Unit 5, operates at 100% of its capacity, the plant management said. At the end of August 2011, Unit 6 turned 20, and its exploitation deadline is set to expire in 2019, which that of Unit 5 expires two years earlier. The Bulgarian government, however, has started a tender to extend the life of the reactors, at least until 2030-35, according to officials. According to reports, the most likely winner of the tender for the modernization of the Kozloduy NPP is a consortium of Rosenergoatom Russia and French company EDF. After the installation of Unit 6 in 1991, the Kozloduy NPP reached a total production capacity of 3 760 MW. Currently, however, the capacity of the plant is down to 2000 MW after Bulgaria shut down the 440 MW reactors 1-4 in 2002 and 2006 at the insistence of the EU as part of the country's EU accession negotiations. In the first 20 years of its operation, Unit 6 produced a total of 111 116 834 MW/h of electricity, the NPP announced. The Kozloduy plant reached its production target for the third quarter of 2011 on September 9, 21 days ahead of schedule. US AMBASSADOR TO BULGARIA URGES IMPARTIAL, SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO SHALE GAS US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick has urged a rational approach to the issue of shale gas, saying that America also faced environmental concerns in relation to the matter. Speaking in a Monday interview for Nova TV, he stressed that the current issue at hand was not whether to allow shale gas development but whether to authorize Chevron and other similar companies present in Bulgaria to confirm the existence of shale gas deposits. "My question is: wouldn't you like to know if you had such gas here, leaving matters relating to development and extraction aside for the time being. I believe it is more important to make a decision on the basis of all facts available", Warlick noted, adding that it was up to the Bulgarian government to make a choice. Warlick argued in favor of shale gas drilling, insisting that the process had negligible environmental impact and was different from development activities. He called for a rational rather than emotional approach to such studies and pointed out that strictly scientific matters should first be offered to people with expert knowledge. "In the US we are conducting such environmental impact assessment procedures as a result of shale gas development. We did not hold a referendum on shale gas production", the US Ambassador stated. As regards the ongoing pre-election campaign, he said that, while he would not be able to meet all of the presidential candidates, he found it very important to hear them state their views on key matters in person "not because the US can exert influence but because it would like to establish a good partnership with whoever assumes office as president or mayor". BULGARIA'S SOPHARMA TO OPEN BRAND NEW PLANT IN BELGRADE Bulgarian pharmaceutical giant Sopharma will open a new tablet manufacturing plant in Serbia's capital Belgrade, it has been announced. The Bulgarian company has invested in the new plant together with "Ivanchich ans Sons LTD", the Bulgarian Dnevnik daily has informed, with the total investment estimated at EUR 8 M. A total of 120 people will be hired at the plant that is to be officially opened on September 28. The Bulgarian company is not seeking to outsource its production but aims at increasing its production capacity, Sopharma officials have pointed out in a media statement. Sopharma CEO and owner Ognyan Donev recently made it clear that the large Bulgarian pharmaceutical producer is embarking on an ambitious program to expand its sales and presence throughout Eastern Europe, especially the Baltic states, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, and Turkey and possibly Greece. Sopharma is known as one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Bulgaria. 
BULGARIAN LEAD, ZINC COMPLEX TO PAY FINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL BREACHES The Administrative Court in Kardzhali has confirmed a fine of BGN 60 000 imposed on Bulgarian lead and zinc smelter, OTZK, over its noncompliance with the integrated environmental permit. Viktor Atanasov, head of the administrative court in the Southeastern Bulgarian town, announced Monday that this was the biggest penalty upheld so far in the region. Among the breaches committed by OTZK-Kardzhali are the uncontrolled release of harmful gas emissions as part of the production process and the impermissible content of dust and sulfur dioxide around the chimneys of the plant. The company owned by Valentin Zahariev's Intertrust Holding explained its failure to observe the environmental standards with the insufficient time it had been given to select an external contractor to build a cleaning facility and the inability of the company to allocate money for such programs due to intercompany indebtedness and the financial crisis. Kardzhali's Administrative Court, however, did not accept the motives, stating that OTZK had had plenty of time to ensure compliance, given that the Ministry of Environment and Water issued the permit back in 2006. The fine was imposed after a check of the Haskovo Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water carried out after multiple reports of industrial air pollution. In 2010, OTZK broke air pollution norms 88 times, and in 2009 it breached legal limits 203 times, compared to the EU cap of 24 instances of pollution per spot per year. The serious environmental violations exposed Bulgaria to the threat of a new infringement procedure launched by the European Commission. As a result, OTZK announced a halt of lead production in April 2011. The Kardzhali-based lead and zinc smelter is to unveil a new lead plant. Valentin Zahariev has threatened to sue Bulgaria for missed profits amounting to BGN 46 M due to the excessively delayed procedures for evaluating environmental impact. The company has already lodged a claim for BGN 7 M with the Administrative Court in Kardzhali. BRAZIL PRESIDENT TO VISIT HER FATHER HOMETOWN IN BULGARIA IN OCT Brazil's Bulgaria-descended President Dilma Rousseff will visit the architectural-ethnographic complex Etara, near the central city of Gabrovo, during her upcoming trip her father's native country. The news was announced by the Mayor of Gabrovo, Nikolay Sirakov, cited by the Bulgarian Monitor daily. Rousseff will be in Bulgaria on October 5th and 6th. The Mayor further says the exact arrival time of the Brazilian President in Gabrovo would not be announced until the last moment over security reasons, while the trip to Etara, Bulgaria's only open-air museum would still depend on the decision of higher-ups. The Gabrovo City Hall is still searching for a gift for Rousseff, but they know they want to get "something symbolic, to take her away from her busy daily agenda and bring her back to Gabrovo." The History Museum in the city is organizing an exhibit dedicated to Brazil's Head of State. Despite her short visit, while in Gabrovo, she will meet with relatives of her father Petar Rousseff and if there is time - with common people for a lunch with traditional Bulgarian food. In Sofia, Rousseff has on her agenda official meetings with Bulgarian counterpart, Georgi Parvanov, on whose invitation she is travelling to Bulgaria and with Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, who secured her visit around New Years while in Brazil for her inauguration. On September 2, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov met his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota and confirmed Rousseff will visit Bulgaria soon, but no official date was set then. Dilma Vana Rousseff was born on December 14, 1947, in Belo Horizonte, in the family of Bulgarian immigrant Petar Rusev (1900-1962), aka Pedro Rousseff, a lawyer and construction entrepreneur, and Dilma Jane Silva, a school teacher whose parents were ranchers. Her sister Zana Lucia died in 1977 at the age of 26. Dilma's brother Igor Rousseff is a lawyer. Dilma's Bulgarian father, Petar Rusev, died in 1962 when she was 15. In 2003, Brazilian President Lula surprisingly chose Dilma for Minister of Energy. She became most famous for implementing a program called "Electricity for All" designed to bring electric power to households of Brazil's underdeveloped and remote regions, and was later picked to be his Chief of Staff. Dilma has become the first female head of government in the history of Brazil, and the first de facto female head of state since the death of Maria I, Queen of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves in 1816. Even though her country's economy has slowed down after the boom in the years of her predecessor, Lula da Silva, Rousseff still enjoys a good deal of support and is considered to be one of the world's most influential women. BULGARIA CONDEMNS YEMEN PRESIDENT'S 'IRRESPONSIBLE' CONDUCT Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry is gravely concerned by the escalating violence in Yemen, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vesela Cherneva said in a statement. "Bulgaria is following with concern the escalation of violence in Yemen. Security in the country has come under threat after authorities last week embarked on the indiscriminate use of weapons," the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry declared Monday. Sofia is worried that the prevailing atmosphere of repression and violence will make it impossible to reach consensus on ending the crisis in Yemen and on the future democratic development of the country. The unrest in the Arab country has claimed more than 650 lives since it started in February 2011 with demands for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power since 1978. At a time when continued efforts could make it possible to reach agreement on a plan for a genuine political transition, a return to confrontation is a particularly dangerous and frustrating twist, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. "We cannot accept the conduct of the President, Mr Ali Abdullah Saleh, as responsible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria fully supports the initiative by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and appeals to the President and all responsible political leaders to immediately stop the bloodshed in the streets and to resume political dialogue," FM spokesperson Vesela Cherneva said Monday. Bulgaria's government further urged the Yemeni President "to fulfill his promise to relinquish power and to sign the agreement based on the GCC plan." This alone will put an end to confrontation and will make it possible to deal with the severe economic and humanitarian challenges facing Yemeni society, Sofia says. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on Sunday, September 25, for early presidential and parliamentary elections that would lead to a peaceful transfer of power in the country. He also renewed his commitment to a Gulf-brokered deal aimed at ending the unrest. The Gulf power transfer deal would see Saleh transfer power to vice president Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi within 30 days in exchange for a promise of immunity from prosecution. BULGARIAN MILITARY SET TO COMPLETE NATO INTEROPERABILITY PROGRAM Bulgaria's military is completing its program for interoperability with NATO forces, Defense Minister Gen. Anyu Angelov and Head of Defense Gen. Simeon Simeonov have announced. Gen. Simeonov presented at a news conference Monday a report for the completion of the so called "Program for the Accession of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria to NATO" and about Bulgaria's cooperation with the Allied Joint Force Command based in Naples, Italy. The Program in question has been implemented in order to increase the interoperability of the Bulgarian armed forces with those of Bulgaria's NATO allies. To mark the completion of the Program, the Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, US Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, will arrive in Bulgaria on Tuesday for the signing of a joint declaration with the Bulgarian Head of Defense, Gen. Simeonov. "The end of this program doesn't put an end to our efforts to have more modern and efficient armed forces, to modernize the Bulgarian military, and to develop new capacities," Defense Minister Angelov told reporters. He also announced that the government's Plan for the Development of the Armed Forces is proceeding as scheduled. The Bulgarian Defense Council, a government body, has adopted the final draft of the Armed Forces Reserve Act, which is to tabled to Parliament. "The Plan for the Development of the Armed Forces does not need to have substantial modifications at the moment. In early 2012, the Plan will be analyzed since there will be reorganization and restructuring of the military detachments of the Bulgarian Army," the Defense Minister explained. Angelov also revealed information about his participation in the latest informal meeting of EU Defense Ministers in Wroclaw, Poland. He said the meeting was marked by the efforts of the Polish EU Presidency to find common ground among the various positions of the 27 EU member states in three areas: the planning and management of EU military operations withing the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP); the future of EU missions abroad, and especially of the EUFOR Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the increase of the role of the so called EU battle groups. The Polish EU Presidency has marked out the closer integration with respect to EU Common Security and Defense Policy as one of its major priorities. CALLS FOR EUROZONE SAFETY NET EXPANSION RATTLE MERKEL'S COALITION German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition has seen new strains, as a junior partner has demanded that she issue an instant denial after international calls for a massive expansion of the eurozone's existing safety net emerged. New legislation is scheduled for passage this Thursday to enhance the 440-billion-euro European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). Merkel went on television late Sunday to canvass public support, DPA reports. "The chancellor must clarify very quickly that there are no changes in the EFSF rules," Christian Lindner, general secretary of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), has commented. Germany "has to mind the limits of what is feasible"Horst Seehofer, leader of the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU), the third party in the ruling coalition, has declared, also opposing the notion of a wider bailout mechanism. A handful of mavericks in all three parties in the coalition intend to vote against the bills, according to DPA. Merkel has struggled to soothe public opinion and calm fears that her coalition is on the verge of break-up over aid to troubled eurozone borrowers. BULGARIA'S PRESIDENT, PM UNITE TO ASSUAGE ETHNIC TENSION FEARS The outbursts of violence in Bulgaria's Plovdiv and the village of Katunitsa are not ethnic-based but "personal", President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov declared jointly. Parvanov and Borisov visited the southern city of Plovdiv Monday, which nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov – who are technically political opponents – met in the building of the Regional Police Directorate in Plovdiv Monday before visiting Angel Petrov's relatives in the village of Katunitsa in the afternoon. Both Parvanov and Borisov sought to make clear their declarations that any toying with "the ethnic card" in Bulgaria "would not lead to anything good." Borisov especially appealed to the media and the public not to let the conflict in Katunitsa turn into an ethnic conflict since, among other things, that could compromise the upcoming presidential and local elections on October 23, 2011. The President and the PM also demonstrated agreement on their positions with respect to the actions of the police over the weekend. Both of them believe that while the police and gendarmerie forces did a good job preventing an escalation of tensions in Plovdiv on Sunday, their initial reaction to the crisis in Katunitsa Saturday was inadequate. "The police did well yesterday. As far as their initial reaction is concerned, however, I fully share the Prime Minister's assessment. These were sluggish actions, and they could have reacted much more adequately," Parvanov said at his meeting with Borisov, Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry Kalin Georgiev, and the head of the Plovdiv Police Directorate Todor Chonov, as cited by Focus. The head of state further said he totally understands people's feelings and demands for justice but stressed that the law enforcement authorities need to play by the rules and protect law and order. "The state institutions will be united, we will be sufficiently firm in our reaction to radical, extremist attitudes," Parvanov said with respect to the possible provocations of ethnic clashes. "According to my information, and it was just confirmed at this meeting, there is no ethnic tension in Katunitsa. Problems there are personalized, and have to do with the family of Kiril Rashkov. But we can also see from yesterday's events that these protests also have ethnic connotations. There have been extremist chants, and there is no way we can't be concerned about that," the President said. He further emphasized that the Bulgarian state is fully capable of protecting the interest of its citizens, and that no self-imposed justice should be allowed. "Apparently, there are such (i.e. extremist – editor's note) moods. But I think that what happened yesterday showed that the police are right where they need to be. They not only kept the two sides apart but also managed to calm the tensions, which I hope will be a permanent thing," the President said. Parvanor also declared, as cited by BTA, that if notorious Roma baron Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, continued to issue threats against the rest of the people in the village of Katunitsa, he would face the legal consequences in full. "I see there are radical political and non-political groups but I am stressing the ones that are trying to ride the wave. And you are the ones that need to reign them in more powerfully than us two," Parvanov told journalists in Plovdiv. Borisov in turn emphasized that if anybody won the upcoming elections amidst ethnic tensions, Bulgaria would be isolated within the EU, and these fact would be constantly reminded to him on the international stage. "I declare full solidarity with the President's statements. I thank him for coming here for this meeting with our colleagues from the Interior Ministry and the District Prosecutor," the PM said, stressing that the Bulgarian institutions will be united in their actions regarding the events in Katunitsa and Plovdiv. He explained he explicitly told the police they have no way of allowing burning buildings and still believe that did their job. "What they told me (about the situation in Katunitsa Saturday night – editor's note) is that the situation was such that clashes between the gendarmerie and those who started the fires would not have gone without casualties. I understand their motivation on the ground but if I were in their place, I would have sealed off the area, and would not have allowed the arsons," said Borisov, a former Interior Ministry Secretary and a former professional fire-fighter. After their meeting in Plovdiv, Borisov and Parvanov met in the village of Katunitsa with the relatives of Angel Petrov and another boy, 16, who died of a heart failure during the protests on Saturday. However, they refused to meet with all locals who expected an opportunity to explain their grievances to the state leaders. CRISIS HQS SET IN PLOVDIV TO DEAL WITH BULGARIAN-ROMA TENSIONS Crisis headquarters have been established in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv to prevent further escalation of ethnic tensions and any new incidents of violence. The news was reported Monday by the Mayor in Charge of the city, Alexander Dolev, who explained the move was planned in the presence of President, Georgi Parvanov, representatives of the municipal administration, the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry, the State Agency for National Security, DANS, and the City Hall. The headquarters are to act under full coordination between the different institutions; there are also concrete measures to not allow protests and riots in the Roma districts of Stolipinovo and "Adzhissan Mahala." Dolev further pointed out the decision has been made in the aftermath of Sunday tensions in these districts. Parvanov declined comments for the media on the grounds he would speak up only after meeting with Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, who is also in Plovdiv. The two cancelled their Monday agendas in order to deal with the situation. The news about the move came on the backdrop of information that tensions in Katunitsa are slowly subsiding and the situation remained calm Sunday night into Monday. Nevertheless, hundreds of police and firefighters are still in the village, guarding all possible points where conflicts can arise. A number of Katunitsa residents are quoted saying the protests will last until the family of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro is deported and the law is applied fully. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Rashkov's Roma associates from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insists his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. Meanwhile, in a Monday morning interview for bTV, Borisov, when commenting on the events in Katunitsa, vowed to bring impunity in Bulgaria to an end. BULGARIAN NATIONALIST LEADER TRIES TO STORM PRESIDENCY OVER 'ETHNIC' CLASHES Volen Siderov, the flamboyant leader of Bulgaria's far-right Ataka (Attack) party, has tried to force his way into the country's presidential building and hand out a special declaration to President Georgi Parvanov concerning the recent ethnic tensions in the country. "The Roma criminal activity is dangerous for the country, for the system of state and for the state's security," Siderov declared Monday, as cited by the Focus news agency. The controversial nationalist leader tried to open the door of the Presidential building's main entrance, only to find out it was closed. Siderov, who is running for President for a second consecutive time this fall, stated that the presidential building was "a bunker in which Parvanov and his staff are hiding," after he did not succeed in personally delivering his declaration inside. Police officers were quick to lead away the nationalist. Parvanov, together with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, was in the southern village of Katunitsa while Siderov tried to contact him. It was Katunitsa where the ethnic tensions in the country erupted late on Friday. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Roma associates of notorious "businessman" Kiril Rashkov aka "Tsar Kiro" from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village of Katunitsa late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insisted his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. BULGARIAN NATIONALIST LEADER DEMANDS REINTRODUCTION OF DEATH SENTENCE Death sentence should be introduced in Bulgaria when it comes to extremely violent murder cases, according to Volen Siderov, leader of the country's far-right Ataka (Attack) party. Siderov's proposal was provoked by the recent ethnic tensions in the country's village of Katunitsa that led to the tragic death of two youngsters. On Monday, he demanded that the Bulgarian Consultative National Security Council should be summoned by the President to discuss what he has named "Roma Crime – a Danger for National Security." The nationalist party has also come up with the idea of trying to call a special parliamentary sitting on which "crimes committed by Roma people" could be discussed. On Monday, Siderov tried to force his way into the country's presidential building and hand out a special declaration to President Georgi Parvanov concerning the recent ethnic tensions. The controversial nationalist leader tried to open the door of the Presidential building's main entrance, only to find out it was closed. Siderov, who is running for President for a second consecutive time this fall, stated that the presidential building was "a bunker in which Parvanov and his staff are hiding," after he did not succeed in personally delivering his declaration inside. Police officers were quick to lead away the nationalist. Parvanov, together with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, was in the southern village of Katunitsa while Siderov tried to contact him. It was Katunitsa where the ethnic tensions in the country erupted late on Friday. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Roma associates of notorious "businessman" Kiril Rashkov aka "Tsar Kiro" from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village of Katunitsa late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insisted his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. EPP LEADER THROWS WEIGHT BEHIND PLEVNELIEV FOR BULGARIAN PRESIDENCY Wilfred Martens, President of the European People's Party, has endorsed Rosen Plevneliev, candidate of the ruling center-right party GERB, for President of Bulgaria. "Plevneliev-Popova ticket, the European choice for Bulgaria," said Martens, declaring his support for Rosen Plevneliev and his running mate Margarita Popova for the October 23 presidential elections in Bulgaria. The head of the EPP, the largest party family in the European Parliament, received Monday in the EPP headquarters the Bulgarian presidential candidate and former Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Rosen Plevneliev, and the vice-presidential candidate and former Minister of Justice Margarita Popova. EPP member-party GERB has put forward Plevneliev and Popova as their official candidates for the Bulgarian Presidency, the EPP reminded. "I had the opportunity to discuss with Rosen Plevneliev and Margarita Popova the current political situation in Bulgaria and the current presidential campaign. We also reviewed the current stalemate on Schengen, which I hope we will overcome soon, and Bulgaria's impressive efforts on infrastructure projects," stated the EPP President, as cited by the EPP press service. "Mr. Plevneliev and Mrs. Popova presented to me their campaign program, which is very thorough and comprehensive. I was very impressed by their in-depth knowledge of European affairs and, in particular, their commitment to bring Bulgaria at the center of European project," the EPP President underlined. "I am convinced that the Plevneliev-Popova ticket is the right choice, the European choice, for Bulgaria," President Martens added. The EPP currently includes 74 member-parties from 39 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament, 17 EU and 6 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament. Plevneliev has already been endorsed for the Bulgarian Presidency by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. GERB CANDIDATE CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM MAYORAL DEBATE A mayoral debate was held Monday in Sofia's City Garden, with all candidates in attendance except for Yordanka Fandakova, incumbent Sofia mayor and GERB nominee for the post . The discussion was organized by and broadcast live on the Bulgarian National Television (BNT). Fandakova was said to have decided last minute against showing up at the event. The absence of the mayoral hopeful of ruling center-right party GERB made the candidate of the right-wing DSB party Proshko Proshkov leave the scene. "I believe that this stance shows disrespect towards the citizens of the capital", he snapped, adding that Fandakova had to attend such meetings in order to account for her progress. Angel Dzhambazki, Georgi Kadiev and Vladimir Karolev, Sofia mayor candidates of the nationalist party VMRO-BND, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the former Tsar Simeon Saxe-Coburg's National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NDSV), respectively, exchanged accusations of past actions and inactions during their terms in office as municipal councilors. The verbal clash drew in Stefan Sofiyanski, three times mayor of the Bulgarian capital (1995-2005), whose bid was backed by a brand-new rightist formation uniting a number of marginal diverse political subjects, the so-called "Community of Democratic Forces" (CDF). The main point on the agenda of Monday's discussion was Roma ghettos in Sofia. All candidates recognized the existence of a problem, offering a variety of solutions ranging from Dzhambazki's call for the immediate demolition of the Roma shantytowns to Sofiyanski's suggestion to build new housing with EU money and with the participation of the Roma inhabitants-to-be. Kadiev drew attention to another problem with Roma population in Sofia, unpaid utility bills. To illustrate his point, he said that the Filipovtsi ghetto housed a total of 5000-10 000 Roma people from which water utility Sofiyska Voda managed to collect a total of BGN 10 per month, BGN 5 from the local school and another BGN 5 from the hospital. The left-wing candidate further reminded that Sofiyska Voda had suggested to buy and install water meters in the quarter but nothing had so far been done about the matter. The debate also included issues like Sofia's garbage problem, the lack of parking spaces, insufficient street lighting, unsafe underpasses and the condition of utilities Sofiyska Voda and Toplofikatsiya Sofia and companies providing cleaning services in the capital. LEFT, RIGHT WINGERS UNANIMOUS IN ATTACKING BULGARIA'S SOFIA ADMINISTRATION Yordanka Fandakova, the incumbent Mayor of Bulgaria's capital Sofia and a candidate for a new term, is not corrupted, but her administration is, according to right-wing Blue Coalition Mayor runner Proshko Proshkov and Georgi Kadiev, who is endorsed by the leftist Bulgarian Socialist Party. "If it wasn't for the corruption issues, Sofia's budget would be sufficient for everything. Brussels is a city with the approximately same size and population as Sofia and its budget is EUR 700 000. Sofia has EUR 650 000 – why is there such a big difference? Because corruption schemes have been curbed in Brussels," Kadiev pointed out in an interview for the Nova TV private channel. The left winger stated that the Bulgarian capital's largest issues are the street repair works and the abundance of stray dogs. Speaking for the same TV channel, Proshkov also accused Sofia's municipal administration of participating in corruption activities and stated that healthcare, security and education should be the key priorities as far as governing the city is concerned. BULGARIAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNER DEMANDS TOP COP''S RESIGNATION OVER ETHNIC TENSIONS Emanuil Yordanov, a candidate for Bulgarian Vice President endorsed by the right-wing Blue Coalition, has demanded Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov's resignation over what has been widely perceived as ethnic tensions in the country's village of Katunitsa. "It is high time Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov resigned. He cannot open an electoral campaign in Burgas while Bulgaria is Burning," Yordanov stated early on Monday in an interview for the bTV private channel. He referred to the fact that Tsvetanov has taken a leave of absence in order to take care of his duties as his ruling centrist-right GERB's electoral campaign head. Tsvetanov was in the southern Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas when the violence erupted. "While Tsvetanov is absent, the Interior Ministry is left with no politicians in charge," Yordanov, a former Interior Minister (1997-2001), pointed out, adding that he believed just two Deputy Ministers with no administrative and political experience whatsoever were left to run the Interior Ministry during the crisis. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Roma associates of notorious "businessman" Kiril Rashkov aka "Tsar Kiro" from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village of Katunitsa late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insisted his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. ARMED ROMA RALLY IN SOFIA OVER PROVOCATIVE RUMOR As riot police was dispersing protesters in downtown Sofia Monday night, tensions escalated in the Hristo Botev quarter, which has large Roma population. The Sofia police found themselves having to deal with numerous Roma who came out of their homes armed with sticks and axes after they heard a rumor that skin head extremists entered the Hristo Botev quarter and beat two Roma women. The rumor was subsequently found to be false, Darik Radio reported, but the police nonetheless cordoned off the quarter, and allowed in only people registered to live at the respective addresses. Groups of armed Roma could still be seen walking around the quarter even after it was revealed that the rumor was false and was most likely intended to generate clashes as a provocation. Tensions across major Bulgarian cities grew Monday night as a result of protest rallies across the country, after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. Sunday night's rallies in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven, and Pazardzhik led to clashes between police and violent protesters, with hundreds being arrested. In addition to demanding justice for the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, the agenda of the protesters appears to be focusing on the "Roma issue" - or what they describe as a privileged situation of a large part of the Roma minority dealing with various crimes while enjoying a virtual immunity from prosecution and exemption from taxes. Regardless of the voicing of these grievances by protesters, suspicions remain that far-right groups and football hooligans might be involved in the rallies. CHAOS IN DOWNTOWN SOFIA, PROTESTERS TARGET MOSQUE The clashes between protesters and riot police in downtown Sofia have gotten out of hand as close to a thousand protesters have tried to target the Sofia mosque.
After clashing briefly with police and gendarmerie
forces at the National Assembly square near the Parliament building in
Sofia, the protesters decided to target the Sofia Mosque Banya Bashi,
but were repulsed by the riot police on the spot.
The mosque has been cordoned off and the police have stopped the traffic in the entire area.
Unconfirmed reports say that the police forces in Sofia
have resorted to mobilizing staff from the Civic Protection services.
Many of the top riot police detachments from Sofia were transported and
deployed in Plovdiv and the village of Katunitsa Sunday night.
The clashes erupted after protesters started to throw
stones and bottles at the police on the square before the Parliament
building, with the situation reminding a scene from a Bulgarian stadium
with high activity on part of football hooligans.
The downtown of the Bulgarian capital was in chaos
Monday night, and it is still unclear how the clashes will develop
throughout the night.
The government and the police authorities have made no formal statements about the situation.
The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm
in both Sofia and Plovdiv, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became
the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma
over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of
Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma
boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night.The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. PROTESTERS CLASH WITH RIOT POLICE IN BULGARIA'S PLOVDIV, TENSIONS EXPLODE Protesters have clashed with gendarmerie and riot police in Bulgaria's Plovdiv as local tensions escalate during protests against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa but also because of problems associated with Bulgaria's Roma minority. The crowd of youngsters, which is likely to include far-right groups and football hooligans, clashed with gendarmerie on the Maria Luiza Blvd in the city, which delineates the location of ethnic Roma-populated Adzhasan Mahala. Hundreds of youths were noticed running across downtown Plovdiv, local news sites reported. Even though Monday night's rally in Plovdiv started peacefully on the Unification square, as dusk arrived, emergency alerts came from various parts of the city. The riot police are reported to have started to arrest protesters. The police have even found themselves forced to resort to pulling out gendarmerie forces from the nearby village of Katunitsa in order to transfer them to Plovdiv. Several dozens of youth shouting nationalist slogans are reported to have besieged the Dzhumaya Mosque, which is heavily guarded by riot police. Tensions are reported to be escalating all over Plovdiv in spite of the relative calm that appeared to have set earlier on Monday after President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov visited the city, and community leaders of the local ethnic Roma and ethnic Turks voiced messages for tolerance and ethnic peace. The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm in both Sofia and Plovdiv, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. 'ROMA ISSUE' PROTESTS ESCALATE IN MAJOR BULGARIAN CITIES Bulgaria's capital Sofia as well as the cities of Plovdiv and Blagoevgrad saw escalating rallies Monday night protesting against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa but also because of problems associated with Bulgaria's Roma minority. More than 1000 people, mostly youngsters rallied in Sofia Sunday night, several thousand came together in Plovdiv, and a massive rally took place in the southwestern city of Blagoevgrad as well. Protesters also came together in Pazardzhik, Veliko Tarnovo, and Varna. The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm in both cities, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. In addition to demanding justice for the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, the agenda of the protesters appears to be focusing on the "Roma issue" - or what they describe as a privileged situation of a large part of the Roma minority dealing with various crimes while enjoying a virtual immunity from prosecution and exemption from taxes. Regardless of the voicing of these grievances by protesters, suspicions remain that far-right groups and football hooligans might be involved in the rallies. "We want to declare our civic position. We don't think that all Roma are to blame. We don't want ethnic wars and tensions. We just want the Roma to know that laws are for all. We insist that they pay their taxes and enter the framework of the society," summed up the protester's position a 30-year-old man Vasil Kotsev who took part in the rally in Sofia, as cited by BGNES. "We don't accept anybody's murder – two lives were lost because of a man who thinks he is God (i.e. Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro – editor's note)," the protester said, adding, "The government needs to realize that there are no such gods and to remove the political cover-ups. It is wrong to set houses on fire but the people in Katunitsa were just out of their mind. Where does Tsar Kiro have all those properties from? How come we get paid BGN 300-400 per month, while others do as they please?" The police are trying to reign in the situation in Sofia as scores of youth dot the streets with nationalist chants. The situation in Plovdiv threatens to get out of hand as the rally there was more massive, with some 2000-3000 people as it kicked off. Their gathering on the Unification square is heavily guarded by the police, Plovdiv24 reported. Some of the protesters assaulted a cameraman of the bTV channel, breaking his camera, and leading him to get in a car in order to escape. The protesters are angry at bTV and especially reporter Mirolyuba Benatova claiming that she favored the ethnic Roma in her coverage of the crisis in Katunitsa. The rally in Blagoevgrad almost clashed with a rally of the local candidate for Mayor from the ruling center-right party GERB, with the participants in the protest rally shouting nationalist and xenophobic slogans. THOUSANDS RALLY ANEW IN SOFIA, PLOVDIV OVER KATUNITSA MURDER New rallies protesting against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa were started in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and Plovdiv Sunday night. The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm in both cities, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. About 1000 protesters, aged overwhelmingly between 18 and 30, are reported to have gathered at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia Monday night, setting out for the National Assembly square before the Parliament building. The participants decided to move because of a concert that was going on near the National Palace of Culture, and which was described as a "provocation" against their rally by one of the speakers. The rally in Plovdiv was more massive, with some 2000-3000 people as it kicked off. Their gathering on the Unification square is heavily guarded by the police, Plovdiv24 reported. Some of the protesters assaulted a cameraman of the bTV channel, breaking his camera, and leading him to get in a car in order to escape. The protesters are angry at bTV and especially reporter Mirolyuba Benatova claiming that she favored the ethnic Roma in her coverage of the crisis in Katunitsa. The agenda of the protesters remains largely unclear since in addition to demanding justice for the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, suspicions remain that football hooligans and xenophobic groups might be involved in them. ETHNIC ROMA, TURKISH LEADERS IN BULGARIA'S PLOVDIV SPEAK OUT FOR TOLERANCE Informal leaders of the four quarters in Bulgaria's Plovdiv with minority population have spoken out in defense of ethnic peace and tolerance in the aftermath of outbursts that threatened to turn into ethnic clashes over the weekend. The community leaders of the quarters populated with ethnic Roma and ethnic Turks met late Sunday with the Alexander Dolev (who is temporary in charge of Plovdiv Municipality as Mayor Slavcho Atanasov is running for reelection), and a number of other senior municipal officials, local news site Plovdiv24.bg reported. Plovdiv, which prides itself in its traditional tolerance and ethnically and religiously diverse population since the Middle Ages, nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. "Why is the problem that appeared in the village of Katunitsa getting politicized?" was the major question posed by the ethnic Roma and ethnic Turkish leaders, who demanded extension of the massive police presence in their communities until the tensions are entirely gone. Plovdiv, a city of 350 000, is the home of Stolipinovo, the largest Roma quarter in Bulgaria with a population of some 40 000. "No such thing has happened in Adzhasan Mahala in the past 50 years. And all of that because of of Kiril Rashkov, a kardarash who came from Romania," declared Inan Aliev, one of the community leaders, as cited by Plovdiv24. "Nobody needs a bloody war," Mehmed Asan, another of the minority leaders, was quoted as saying. Selim Mehmed, a representative of the board of trustees of the Dzhumaya Mosque in Plovdiv, declared that "tolerance and democracy failed to work out in the case with the incident in Katunitsa, and laws remained passive." "Who, why, and how caused this tension making us live in a war-like situation? A crime and the abnormal reality caused this chaos. All ethnicities and religions should live in Bulgaria in a brotherly way," Gyursel Aliev, chair of the Association of Turks in Bulgaria and in Plovdiv, said. Temporary Mayor of Plovdiv Alexander Dolev and his deputies said they would not allow any demonstrations around the two mosques in the city. BULGARIAN ROMA TSAR HIDING IN BOROVETS MOUNTAIN RESORT The family of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, has been in hiding in the top Bulgarian mountain resort Borovets since Friday when an associate of his killed murdered a Bulgarian boy, a crime that nearly generated ethnic clashes. As tensions escalated in the village of Katunitsa near Plovdiv, where Rashkov's family resides, the family of the wealthy controversial Roma clan leader was evacuated by the police barely in time to save their lives from an angry crowd, which stormed and set on fire his properties Saturday night. Rashkov's family was removed by the police from the Borovets hotel where they had been staying as noon on Monday, the BGNES news agency reported Monday night. The police had kept secret the location of the Roma tsar out of concerns for his safety. His new whereabouts after he and his relatives left the Borovets resort remain once again unknown to the public. Rashkov, who is known as "tsar" because of his wealth, attracted public attention over the weekend after some of his associates ran over and killed an ethnic Bulgarian boy, 19-year-old Angel Petrov, in the village of Katunitsa. The incident spurred mass protests against his family and nearly led to large-scale ethnic clashes in the nearby city of Plovdiv on Sunday. Locals in the village of Katunitsa have protested against the status of Tsar Kiro, claiming he is extremely rich without have any legal sources of income, and without paying any taxes. Rashkov is reported to be dealing with illegal production of fake alcohol as well as with prostitution and pickpocket rings operating across Europe. None of these reports have been confirmed by the police. Earlier on Monday, the head of the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency Krasimir Stefanov announced that Rashkov's income, properties, and other assets were supposed to be inspected in 2010 but the inspection got delayed "for inexplicable reasons." Parallel to the criminal investigation of the murder of murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, the Bulgarian authorities have now launched an all-out probe into the assets of the Roma tsar. BULGARIAN ROMA 'MESHERE' SENTENCES TSAR KIRO TO 'DEATH' The Roma popular court, Kris Romani, also known as meshere, has issued a "death sentence" for notorious Roma boss, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro. The information was reported Monday by the Bulgarian Standart (Standard) daily, citing the Chair of the Supreme Roma Court, Hristo Varbanov AKA The Pope, who said that "not a single person, not a single Roma would stand up for Rashkov." Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated over the weekend after Rashkov's Roma associates from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the nearby village of Katunitsa late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. The meshere convened two days after Angel's murder with all 11 members voting unanimously to not back Rashkov and his clan. Standart further writes that the Roma Court issued a symbolic "death sentence" to Rashkov, further quoting Varbanov, who pointed out "this was the true rule of the meshere, and if it had real power it would sentence Rashkov to death by hanging to set an example to others." Rashkov told Standart he did not care about the rule, nor about Varbanov's opinion or the one of the leader of the Roma party Evroroma, Tsvetlin Kanchev, who has also been critical to him, because both "were Bulgarians, not Roma." "The Pope should go on and keep racketeering people, which he knows how to do best," said Tsar Kiro said. Meanwhile, talks between President, Georgi Parvanov, Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, the leadership of the local police, the Head of the Plovdiv Police Directorate, Commissar, Todor Chonov, the Head Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Chief Commissar, Kalin Georgiev, are discussing in Plovdiv the situation in Katunitsa. All, including Parvanov and Borisov, have cancelled their planned agendas for Monday in order to attend. The Mayor in Charge of Plovdiv, Alexander Dolev, announced earlier Monday that crisis headquarters have been established in the city to prevent further escalation of ethnic tensions and any new incidents of violence. The news about the move and the talks comes on the backdrop of information that tensions in Katunitsa are slowly subsiding and the situation remained calm Sunday night into Monday. In a Monday morning interview for bTV, Borisov, when commenting on the events in Katunitsa, vowed to bring impunity in Bulgaria to an end. BULGARIAN-ROMA TENSIONS IN KATUNITSA VILLAGE SUBSIDE Tensions in the village of Katunitsa, located in southern Bulgaria, near the second largest city of Plovdiv, are slowly subsiding and the situation remained calm Sunday night into Monday. The news was reported by the Bulgarian TV channel bTV Monday morning. Nevertheless, hundreds of police and firefighters are still in the village, guarding all possible points where conflicts can arise. A number of Katunitsa residents are quoted saying the protests will last until the family of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro is deported and the law is applied fully. Tensions in the entire Plovdiv region escalated after Rashkov's Roma associates from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village late Friday. The incident flared large-scale violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties, allegedly staged by several hundred football fans. Monday is a day of mourning in the village. Angel was buried Sunday with a crowd of over 2 000 gathering to bid farewell to the young man. The mourning father insists his son was killed on Tsar Kiro's orders. A day before the incident, the following threat had been published in the Facebook profile of one of Rashkov's grandsons: "The one who is my enemy should die in a traffic accident!" Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, will be buried Monday. He passed out during the attacks on Rashkov's properties Friday and later died in the hospital. The boy had a bypass surgery several years ago. Crowds were reported in Katunitsa Sunday night, but the tensions have diminished with local resident holding a silent vigil with candles. BULGARIAN SCHOOL BECOMES 1ST IN EUROPE TO INTRODUCE CHESS AS OBLIGATORY SUBJECT Bulgaria's "Eurostandard" English language highschool has become the first school in Europe to introduce chess as an obligatory subject for all its students, according to a local news report. The school has worked in collaboration with Bulgarian Silvio Danailov, President of the European Chess Union, in order to prepare and introduce the project, the News.bg news agency has informed. On September 20, Silvio Danailov and Garry Kasparov, one of the world's legendary chess players and Chairman of the Kasparov Chess Foundation Europe presented during a public hearing at the European Parliament their program for 'Chess in European Schools'. The program is designed to promote chess in schools throughout Europe by offering chess curriculums, chess materials, chess teachers and communication material to encourage and motivate children to discover and learn the game. The development of the program will be carried out by the Foundation as a joint project with the European Chess Union (ECU) and the Kasparov Chess Foundation US. 'Chess in School' project is a top priority in the management program of the President of the European Chess Union Silvio Danailov and his team. Chess is a fairly popular sport in Bulgaria and children in the Balkan country often learn how to play it at an early age. Recently, Bulgarian Nurgyul Salimova grabbed the Girls Under 8 title at the European Youth Chess Championship that took place at Bulgaria's Albena sea resort. Expectedly, Bulgaria's young chess hopefuls pulled of a formidable performance, with 6 players reaching top 10 in their respective age groups. SHOOTING OF STAR-PACKED 'THE EXPENDABLES 2' UNDERWAY IN BULGARIA The shooting of the much anticipated sequel to "The Expendables" is underway in Bulgaria, it has been announced. Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme are among the cult action heroes expected to star in the movie that is to be directed by Simon West. "The Expendables 2" has a budget of over USD 80 M and its shooting will take place mainly at the Sofia-based NU Boyana studios. Hundreds of Bulgarian professionals are employed alongside their foreign colleagues to participate in the shooting process. Already in July, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) learned some exciting casting news for the upcoming action movie. "Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke...who else? Of course, Bruce Willis," NU Boyana studios CEO David Varod told Novinite in an exclusive interview upon asked about the movie's ensemble cast. BULGARIA SCORES SEVEN MEDALS AT BIATHLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HELD IN SOFIA Bulgaria grabbed a total of seven medals in the 2011 Biathle World Championships held in Sofia on September 25. Biathle is a sub-sport of modern pentathlon involving a run, swim and run. The event, which took place at the Cherveno Zname (Red Flag) sports complex in Sofia, featured a total of 270 competitors from 16 countries. The13th Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Biathle World Championship included 11 age groups starting at 10 years. Bulgaria was represented by 66 athletes, most of them in the young adult categories. Bulgarian athletes pocketed one silver (Youth D Boys, up to 12 yrs) and four bronzes (Youth E Boys and Youth E Girls, up to 10 yrs; Youth D Girls, up to 12 yrs; Youth C Girls, up to 14 yrs) in the team ranking. In the individual races, Dimitar Iliev ranked third in his Youth D Boys category and Georgia Kadoglu also won bronze in her Youth C Girls group. BULGARIA'S DIMITROV UPSETS CROATIAN DODIG AT BANGKOK ATP TOURNAMENT Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria's top male tennis hopeful, has defeated Croatian Ivan Dodig, world No 37, in the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in the Thai capital Bangkok. The Bulgarian youngster won 6:2, 7:5 and seemed back on track after a couple of disappointing performances. 2011 is the best year for the strong 26-years-old Croat who had recently succeeded in reaching No 33. The Bulgarian is currently ranked 76th. Dimitrov started off the match in fine form with a pair of service breaks in the first set. The Bulgarian had 3 chances to break in the opening frame, converting 2 of them while Dodig never had the chance for a break point. Dodig looked as though he might forge a comeback in the second set. The Croat went up 2-0, but he could not serve well enough to hold off Dimitrov, Tennistalk reports. Dimitrov will take on the winner of Ernests Gulbis and Simone Bolelli in the second round. Last autumn, Dimitrov won 2 subsequent ATP challengers in Bangkok which helped him progress in the ATP ranking. STOICHKOV WON'T TAKE OVER BULGARIA, EYES BARCELONA MOVE Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stiochkov will most surely never coach his country's national side again, but may want to manage Spanish giants Barcelona in the future, he has revealed. "I am over wit the Bulgarian national squad," Stoichkov has declared, as cited by the Dnevnik daily. "I already worked with the team once, it is 99.9% sure that I won't return. Besides that, I have been living in Barcelona for 20 years now, it is a normal thing to work where you live. This is where my home is, this is where my children live. But I am not over with my coaching career," the 1994 World Cup's top goalscorer said. Stoichkov hinted that he pictured himself as Barcelona's coach some day, "but not now", since he was fairly convinced Josep Guardiola was doing an excellent job. The former flamboyant striker played for Barcelona FC in 1990-1995 as part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team'. Stoichkov, who managed rather unsuccessfully Bulgaria between 2004 and 2007, last worked as a coach at the South African team Mamelodi Sundowns. The former striker was recently appointed honorary Consul in Barcelona by Bulgarian Prime Minister and a friend of his, Boyko Borisov. RIOT POLICE SCATTER VIOLENT PROTESTERS IN BULGARIA'S SOFIA Riot police, gendarmerie and Civic Protection units joined forces to scatter a violent protest rally with anti-Roma slogans in Bulgaria's capital Sofia Monday night. The clashes between protesters and riot police in downtown Sofia got out of hand as close to a thousand protesters tried to target the Sofia mosque.
After clashing briefly with police and gendarmerie
forces at the National Assembly square near the Parliament building in
Sofia, the protesters decided to target the Sofia Mosque Banya Bashi,
but were repulsed by the riot police on the spot.
The mosque was cordoned off and the police stopped the traffic in the entire area.
It has been confirmed that the police forces in Sofia
resorted to mobilizing staff from the Civic Protection service. Many of
the top riot police detachments from Sofia were transported and deployed
in Plovdiv and the village of Katunitsa Sunday night.
As they tried to target the mosque, the protesters were
met by riot police near the Bulgarian Presidency and Council of
Ministers buildings, and were repulsed and chased down the Vitosha Blvd,
the main shopping street in Sofia.
While running away from the police, the protesters
knocked down garbage containers but were met by other police units and
were ultimately scattered before they could reach the National Palace of
Culture square.
It is unclear how many protesters have been arrested in
Sofia. Reports said that hundreds have been arrested in the southern
Bulgarian city of Plovdiv.
The clashes erupted after protesters started to throw
stones and bottles at the police on the square before the Parliament
building, with the situation reminding a scene from a Bulgarian stadium
with high activity on part of football hooligans.
The downtown of the Bulgarian capital was in chaos
Monday night, and it is still unclear how the clashes will develop
throughout the night.
The government and the police authorities have made no formal statements about the situation.
The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm
in both Sofia and Plovdiv, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became
the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma
over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of
Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma
boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night.The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. A video of Sunday night's protest rally in Sofia before clashes erupted VIEW HERE RIOT POLICE ARREST SCORES OF PROTESTERS IN BULGARIA'S PLOVDIV Hundreds of violent protesters have been busted in Bulgaria's Plovdiv after the riot police and gendarmerie moved to break up the rally of some 3000 Monday night. The protesters threw bottles, stones, and even road signs at the police but were rounded up before the St. Petka church, and scattered. Hundreds were arrested, but a number of them managed to escape, local news websites reported, as of 10 pm Monday. The detainees are primarily youngsters, both male and female. The police ever ran short of buses to transport even all of them. Earlier Monday night, protesters have clashed with gendarmerie and riot police in Bulgaria's Plovdiv, as local tensions escalate during protests against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa but also because of problems associated with Bulgaria's Roma minority. The crowd of youngsters, which likely included far-right groups and football hooligans, clashed with gendarmerie on the Maria Luiza Blvd in the city, delineating the location of ethnic Roma-populated Adzhasan Mahala. Hundreds of youth were noticed running across downtown Plovdiv, local news sites reported. Even though Monday night's rally in Plovdiv started peacefully on the Unification square, as dusk arrived, emergency alerts came from various parts of the city. The riot police are reported to have started to arrest protesters. The police have even found themselves forced to resort to pulling out gendarmerie forces from the nearby village of Katunitsa in order to transfer them to Plovdiv. Several dozens of youth shouting nationalist slogans have besieged at one point the Dzhumaya Mosque but were beaten back by riot police. Tensions were reported to be escalating all over Plovdiv Monday night in spite of the relative calm that appeared to have set earlier on Monday after President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov visited the city, and community leaders of the local ethnic Roma and ethnic Turks voiced messages for tolerance and ethnic peace. The new rallies, which were organized on Facebook and started at 7 pm in both Sofia and Plovdiv, come after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. PROTESTERS ATTEMPT ROMA POGROMS IN MAJOR BULGARIAN CITIES Riot police and gendarmerie units have managed to stave off attempts by violent protesters to storm Roma-populated quarters in Bulgaria's Varna, Pleven, and Pazardzhik, which come on top of the clashes in Sofia and Plovdiv. A group of 150 youngsters tried to attack the Roma-populated quarter in the northern city of Pleven but were fended off by the local police which had to mobilize its entire staff. Before that, however, the protesters violated a local club of the ethnic Turkish party DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms), Darik Radio reported. A likely pogrom on the Roma-populated quarter Maxuda was also prevented by the police and gendarmerie in Bulgaria's Varna, after a rally of 1 000 participants escalated Monday night. The rally notably featured the fan clubs of local football teams Spartak Varna and Cherno More as well as about 100 bikers. Not unlike the developments in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Pleven, in the southern city of Pazardzhik, the police cordoned off the Roma quarter Iztok, and prevented large groups of people from trying to enter it. Tensions across major Bulgarian cities grew Monday night as a result of protest rallies across the country, after on Sunday Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. Sunday night's rallies in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven, and Pazardzhik led to clashes between police and violent protesters, with hundreds being arrested. In addition to demanding justice for the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, the agenda of the protesters appears to be focusing on the "Roma issue" - or what they describe as a privileged situation of a large part of the Roma minority dealing with various crimes while enjoying a virtual immunity from prosecution and exemption from taxes. Regardless of the voicing of these grievances by protesters, suspicions remain that far-right groups and football hooligans might be involved in the rallies. BULGARIAN NGOS: ROMA CLASHES HANDLED INCOMPETENTLY The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has called on local authorities to respond adequately to the clashes in Katunitsa and prevent attempts to use the case to whip up inter-ethnic tensions. In an open letter to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, BHC Chair Krasimir Kanev demanded harsh sanctions for high-ranking officials of the Interior Ministry who had committed "unprofessional actions and inactions". The head of the human rights non-governmental organization claimed Monday that the case involved "utterly unprofessional conduct on the part of the Interior Ministry, a total failure of the institution to guarantee the safety of citizens and uphold public order". In Kanev's words, officials of the Interior had passively witnessed a spate of grave crimes unfold in front of their eyes, which had resulted in racist rioting and had caused social tensions to spike in other parts of the country. In its written statement BHC also demanded a quick and efficient investigation that would shed light on the murder in the village of Katunitsa, the organizers of the riots, the demonstrators chanting racist and anti-Roma slogans and the perpetrators of the racially motivated arsons. The NGO further encouraged the Interior towards a much more active role in the prevention of race-based gatherings for criminal purposes, regardless of the existence of party affiliations of the organizers. "Apart from that, public security organs must investigate the overt organization of such venues in social networks like Facebook and make sure that both orchestrators and participants are brought to criminal liability", BHC stated. In another Monday statement on the matter, Bulgaria's Civil Initiative "People Against Racism" protested against what it saw as an attempt to present a social conflict opened by the crime committed by Tsar Kiro's clan as an ethic problem. "People Against Racism"'s protest campaign consisted in the widespread distribution of leaflets and posters. The conflict in the village of Katunitsa, located in southern Bulgaria, near the second largest city of Plovdiv, erupted after associated of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro from the Plovdiv district of Stolipinovo ran over and killed 19-year-old Angel Petrov from the village late Friday. The incident triggered widespread violence and protests which culminated Saturday night in an attack on Rashkov's properties staged by by football hooligans from Plovdiv. Pavel, 16, a friend of Angel, passed out during the Friday attacks on Rashkov's properties and later died in the hospital. The boy had undergone bypass surgery several years ago. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. BULGARIAN TOP RESORT NESSEBAR'S MAYOR CHARGED OVER VIOLATIONS The Burgas Prosecutor's Office has charged with criminal breach of trust Nikolay Dimitrov, Mayor of top Black Sea resort town of Nessebar. Dimitrov is alleged to have granted 12 persons construction rights for municipal plots back in 2008 without the consent of the Nessebar Town Council. Under the Municipal Property Act, a mayor has no such powers, the Prosecutor's Office has reminded. According to Burgas Info, a local news website, the municipal property in question is a plot of 1 980 square meters located in the Cherno More quarter of the town of Nessebar. One of the "beneficiaries" of the construction permits is said to Stoyko Stoynov, Secretary of the Nessebar Municipality. A residential building has already been constructed on the plot. Dimitrov was elected Mayor of Nessebar in 2007 as an independent candidate. Before that he served as a municipal councilor for three terms. SLAIN BULGARIAN BUSINESSMAN WIDOW GETS LUXURY APARTMENT WITH ITALIAN PM HELP Darina Pavlova, former Bulgarian model, actress and widow of controversial businessman, Iliya Pavlov, had acquired a luxury apartment for EUR 2 M in downtown Rome. The information was reported Monday by the Bulgarian Standart (Standard) daily. According to the article, Pavlova had told her girlfriends that Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, personally helped her with the purchase, but it remains unknown if the assistance involved money or simply the politician's connections. The apartment of the widow of the richest, in recent past, Bulgarian is 200 square meters with a terrace of 100 square meters, decorated with huge antique candleholders, exotic Mediterranean vegetation and palms. Standart further reports that the said terrace, boasting a splendid view of Rome, has been the location of numerous parties, attended by high-profile guests, including Berlusconi. Iliya Pavlov was gunned down in Sofia on March 7 2003, when leaving his offices. His killers remain unknown and at large. Since his death, Darina has lived outside Bulgaria – first in the US, and later she settled in Italy. She regularly makes socialite headlines in Italian media over her ties with famous people, her frequent travels between Rome and Milan and appearances at parties and charities, often in the company of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. The two openly admit they are close friends, but firmly deny rumors of an intimate relationship with Pavlova being a firm defender of the PM, who is often under fire from local media. She calls the attacks slander against a dignified and generous man. According to article, Pavlova has given up frequent travels to the US where her children live. She made a rare appearance in Bulgaria in August – the first one since her husband's death, to attend to a memorial service for him. WHY DID BULGARIA'S CAULDRON BOIL OVER? "No, we won't let a mafia baron, all the more so a gypsy, boss us around! There is no justice for him! There is no court! He buys them with whole briefcases of money!" The firm vow, voiced by a local from the southern village of Katunitsa near the town of Plovdiv, sums up best the recent bloody events there, which shook the whole country. Ten years of smoldering tensions between an affluent self-proclaimed Roma "tsar" and the residents, escalated at the end of the week into riots, cutting short the lives of two young Bulgarians. Their murder stirred sheer outrage in social networks and a wave of rallies across the country. The unprecedented for Bulgaria events were widely described as ethnic clashes, but that is something of, though not entirely, a misnomer. The violence erupted Friday after a 19-year old teenager was struck and killed by a mini-bus driver linked to the local Roma leader Kiril Rashkov, who piled up his huge wealth thanks to unscrupulous trade in fake alcohol and votes. Rashkov and the boy, friend of the former mayor's son, had unsettled scores over land plots. Apparently the Roma baron decided to settle scores by killing the boy - an insolent and hideous act, which (accidentally) coincides with the launch of the presidential election campaign. The issue here is not the bravado of a Roma. The issue here is the bravado of a man - who happens to be a Roma - that he can place himself above the law and terrorize the locals. The question here is why the (obviously) corrupt police has left this mafia (not just Roma) clan do whatever they want? "Tsar" Kiro comes from the typical derelict, garbage-strewn streets of Bulgarian Roma ghettos, which are home to most of the country's 375,000 Roma - although unofficial data estimates their true numbers come closer to 750,000, out of a population of 7.8 million. Here he lived together with skinny men rooting through piles of rubbish alongside pigs and fat women in flowing skirts cradling babies. Today he has turned into a clan chief, one of those who struck it rich after the collapse of Communism, lives in luxury, drives gleaming cars and has replaced his ramshackle house, made of poorly "cemented" bricks of clay and straw, with a true royal palace. It was this palace that the rioters torched, creating a powerful symbol of what happens when there is no rule of law – people just take the law into their own hands. The widely touted muscle-flexing police exercises failed to yield satisfactory results during the riots as well – the men in uniforms just stood in silence and watched. It turns out that the authorities in Bulgaria, generally not held in high esteem, have little power not only over the larger Roma ghettos, where clan chiefs are left to rule, but also at villages and towns where the Slav people are majority, but Roma clan chiefs are left to rule. So the culture of the local Roma ghetto easily takes the upper hand and the place becomes rife with extortion, human trafficking, baby selling and other menaces. And this is exactly why the simple wrangling over land plots escalated into a so-called ethnic clash, giving politicians the chance to play the ethnic card. The Roma baron's power has been so extensive that Katunitsa was on the brink of becoming the "first private village" in popular parlance. His control relied on a small squad of Roma hitmen, who terrified anyone who dared to disobey. It was only natural that at one point nationalists, chanting racist abuse, joined the riots. The culprit is a Roma man (and a mafia boss at that) and the stereotype is hard to fight for many reasons. Pickpockets and thieves, dirty, lazy, uneducated people, who have tons of kids and sponge off social assistance. This is how the average Bulgarian perceives the Gypsy people, despite the inroads the politically correct term "Roma" has made in people's everyday speech. The self-proclaimed Roma tsar and a virtual landlord of the village of Katunitsa has been delivered a number of sentences, totaling thirty years in prison. But that was before the communist regime collapsed in 1989. After that he seems to have been the darling of all those in power – none of the complaints or investigations against him has ended up in court. Reports say Rashkov was ready to fork out a whopping BGN 100,000 in bribes to make officials "forget" his case. Besides it is more than clear that those in power need Rashkov – he is the man they rely upon to secure the votes of the Roma minority, who tip the balance in any elections in Bulgaria. The events are clear defeats for Prime Minister Boiko Borisov and his interior minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov who, since taking office in late July 2009, repeatedly pledged to send top-level criminals to jail. Katunitsa has turned into a symbol of the consequences of an inefficient judicial system and rule of law deficit. The conflict is a national problem, which perfectly illustrates the corruption and hideous perversions of justice that reign in Bulgaria. And this is exactly why the country was forced, just days before Katunitsa's cauldron boiled over, to say goodbye to its bright Schengen hopes. |
Why Did Bulgaria's Cauldron Boil Over?
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