FINANCIAL TIMES: EX KING PLANS GOVERNMENT

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

By Phelim McAleer and Theodore Troev in Sofia

Simeon Saxe-Coburg, the former King Simeon II of Bulgaria, was on Monday consulting with advisers about the make-up of his new government after his political movement, set up less than three months ago, won an overwhelming victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections.

The final result will not be known until Wednesday, but according to the Gallup polling organisation the National Movement for Simeon II will pick up at least 120 seats of the 240 member parliament.

The result represents an overwhelming rejection of the reformist centre-right Union of Democratic Forces government which had been in power for the past four years.

However, Mr Saxe-Coburg, who was deposed and forced into exile by the communist regime in 1946 at the age of nine, has consistently said he will enter into a coalition with those who share his principles. The National Movement's programme is broadly similar to the UDF's pro-market and pro-western policies, although it has said it will speed up privatisation and crack down on corruption that has tainted the UDF administration.

The former king also says he has not decided what his position in a future administration will be. Despite not standing for parliament, Mr Saxe-Coburg could become prime minister. But on Monday Ognian Gerdzhikov, the movement's chief legal co-ordinator and one of his closest advisers, said this was unlikely. "It is not 100 per cent but it is most likely he will not take this position, although I cannot say categorically," Mr Gerdzhikov said in an interview.

He said the prime minister would probably be a technocrat or someone with political experience but who agreed with the principles of the National Movement.

The unique situation which would then exist in Bulgaria - where a former monarch, who wins an election steps back and hands control of the government to a politician - would not cause problems or create instability, he said.

"This model has never been tested but the basis of it all is the unique authority from the people for the king. The country believes in him." Mr Gerdzhikov said this authority would be binding on a future prime minister.

"The prime minister will have a moral engagement, legally he may not be subordinate but morally he will have to co-operate," he said.

"The king is not an expert who will say this and that about various deals. He will be in charge of the overall political responsibility for the direction of the movement. Basically he will take the blame if things go wrong."

He added that the National Movement was working on legislation which would formalise the proposed new structure and see the movement constituted as a political party with Mr Saxe-Coburg as its leader.

Many observers believe Ivan Kostov, the UDF leader, will resign after his party's disastrous performance which saw their share of the vote fall from 52 per cent to 18 per cent.

Stefan Sofianski, the popular UDF mayor of Sofia, said on Monday the party should not go into opposition.

He said the UDF and the National Movement should "find a way to respond to the expectations of the people for a broader coalition government".

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