INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ONTHE WASHINGTON POST: OUSTED KING'S PARTY LEADS BULGARIA VOTE

Politics | June 19, 2001, Tuesday // 00:00

A political movement founded two months ago by Bulgaria's ousted king was leading in today's parliamentary elections, opening the way for him to become prime minister. It would be the first time a member of one of Eastern Europe's royal families had regained power in the post-communist world. Exit polls showed the National Movement for Simeon II, led by the 64-year-old throneless monarch, had won 43 percent of the popular vote with its heady mix of nostalgia and hope. "I vote in favor of democracy, hoping that we can all consolidate it," Simeon said as he cast a ballot for the first time near the royal Vrana residence. Simeon, who was ousted by the Communists after World War II, has lived most of his life in exile. He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania and eventually became a businessman in Spain before returning to Bulgaria in April to enter politics. His return generated a wave of sentiment for the pre-communist past, which fueled expectations that this blue-blooded second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II could create a prosperous future for this economically struggling country. Although Simeon did not himself seek a seat in parliament, under Bulgarian law he can nonetheless become prime minister. "This has to be negotiated," he said tonight, referring to his party's need to find a coalition partner to form a government after failing to win an outright majority of seats in the 240-member parliament. "I feel overwhelmed," he said of the victory, fielding reporters' questions in five languages. "It will take some time to sink in, believe you me." The ruling Union of Democratic Forces, a center-right government that has been in power for four years, got about 18 percent of the vote, according to exit polls. The Socialist Party, the Communist successor that ruled the country twice between 1990 to 1997 and drove it to the brink of bankruptcy in its second term, got about the same. The ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a likely coalition partner for Simeon's movement, got about 6 percent. Official results will not be available until Wednesday. Although the current government righted Bulgaria from near economic collapse in 1997 and put it on track for European Union and NATO membership, the government was damaged by charges of corruption and the pain inflicted by its austerity policies, which included the widespread closure of state enterprises. Bulgaria has an unemployment rate of close to 20 percent and the average monthly income is $100, with people in many parts of this country of 8 million eking out an existence from small plots of land. "The last 10 years were a waste of time for Bulgaria," said Ljuben Mihaylov, 65, a retired economist in Sofia, the capital, who voted for Simeon's party. "This is why I decided to give a chance to a third power. I like Simeon's economic team. They are all young people coming back from countries with developed market economies and have been working with prestigious companies. I like their program." "The king will make things work out for Bulgaria," said Kamelia Bozhilova, 21, after voting for the National Movement for Simeon II. "He will improve living standards and provide jobs." The king has promised to transform Bulgaria in 800 days with a radical liberal reform program to attract foreign investment, slash taxes and root out corruption. His party is packed with local celebrities, including TV personalities and a pop music star, as well as Western-educated investors and bankers who returned from abroad. The movement's sudden genesis, and its lack of seasoned political operatives, led to some embarrassing missteps during the campaign, including revelations that some candidates once served as agents for the Communist secret police. But none of it mattered because many voters, disillusioned with the current political elite, craved change. Uncertainty about Simeon's long-term ambitions, and fears that his neophyte team has elevated expectations for quick change beyond reason, have led to some disquiet outside Bulgaria. Gunther Verheugen, the European Union commissioner for enlargement, said last week that there "were reasons to be concerned about the promises," made during the election, a clear reference to the pledge of widespread prosperity within 800 days. Simeon Borissov Saxe Coburg was crowned Simeon II at the age of 6 in 1943 after the sudden death of his father, the popular Boris III. After World War II, the king was forced out of the country by the Communists following a rigged plebiscite that abolished the monarchy. Simeon, while not ruling out a restoration of the monarchy, has said the country must concentrate all its energies on building a successful economy. According to opinion polls, Bulgarians remain firmly attached to their republican state and any restoration of the monarchy could depend on the new government's economic success. "I'm a republican by heart, but I will vote for a monarchy in a possible referendum if the king does as promised," said Mihaylov, echoing a common sentiment among the king's supporters. Simeon never abdicated and, asked today if he were still king, said: "I'm always asked who I am. I can't change history."

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