Miracle of Bulgaria Opera Voices Voted Top 20 Century Event

The miracle of the Bulgarian opera voices was chosen the most important event of the 20th century in Bulgaria.

The final vote in the campaign of the State owned Bulgarian National Television, BNT, was aired live after, in the course of 3 months, the audience selected the top 10 events from 10 different categories. The poll had the goal to publicize the most significant political, scientific and cultural Bulgarian achievements during the last century.

The 10 events that competed in the final were: the Doyran battle during World War I, the discovery of the 6th tone of the heart, the Bulgarian opera miracle, the "chushkopek" - a patented Bulgarian household appliance for roasting peppers, the date of the beginning of the Communist regime in Bulgaria – September 9, 1944, the climbing of Mount Everest by Bulgarian Hristo Prodanov in 1984, the love story between prominent Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov, and his wife Boyka, the building of the town of Dimitrovgrad, the terrorist attack in the "St. Nedelya" Church in downtown Sofia on April 16, 1925, and the informational blackout by the country's Communist rulers during the "Chernobil" Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 1986.

The opera phenomenon collected nearly 27% of the vote. Dimitrovgrad ranked second with nearly 17% while the 6th tone of the heart ended third with 13%. The much debated September 9, 1944 which was ranked firs in the category "Political Event of the 20th Century" had just 6% while the "chushkopek" ranked last with 1,4%.

Special Panel Published Communist Secret Services' Documents

Bulgaria's special panel, investigating the communist-era police files, known as the Files' Commission, has published a collection of the most important documents of the former State Security.

The new book titled "State Security – Structure and Main Documents" was presented at the Sofia University.

The collection follows chronologically three main topics related to the former Services – the development of their structure, the recruitment of undercover agents, and the internal rules of operation.

A major part of the published documents have remained unknown until now not only for the public at large, but also for researchers over the limited access to the State Security archives.

Readers were able to see for the first time the documents about the establishment and the operations of the former Secret Services - top classified decrees and instructions, adopted by the Bulgarian Communist Party and implemented by theState Security, showing the connection between the two.

The 46 documents have been chosen among 20 000 files while the forthcoming online version will include 200 documents.

This is the second documentary collection published by the Commission. The debut was made last year with a book of documents dedicated to the ties between the Bulgarian and the Soviet Communist State Security Services.

Bulgaria's top journalists and media owners were among the exposed as state security agents and collaborators. The names of Todor Batkov, owner of the popular Standart newspaper and Bulgarian football club Levski; Petko Bocharov, the much respected long-term journalist from the Bulgarian News Agency and the Bulgarian National Radio; Petar Mandzhukov, former owner of Duma newspaper, the mouth-piece of the Bulgarian Socialist Party; Valeri Naydenov, top journalist from 24 Hours daily, one of the most highly circulated dailies and former editor-in-chief of Klassa business daily were added in February to the blacklist that the Files Commission has been preparing since its establishment nearly three years ago.

Bulgarian Aid to Earthquake-Struck Haiti

Bulgaria joined the international effort to assist victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov ordered the immediate provision of relief aid to Haiti, according to the Government Information Service.

The Ministry of Defense sent nearly half a ton of tents, blankets and bedroom sets from the resources of the Bulgarian Army.

The Bulgarian Red Cross collected BGN 180 000 for disaster relief for earthquake ravaged Haiti.

A charity concert "Hope for the Children of Haiti" organized by the TV channel bTV and UNICEF Bulgaria collected BGN 0,8 M.

A Bulgarian farmer from the Danube Region of Vidin asked for State help to transport 2 tons of apples to earthquake devastated Haiti. Ivan Farkov, who grows apples, wanted to donate the fruit to the victims of the disaster.

Innovations

The Bulgarian Transport Ministry announced in January that anyone looking for current information about a specific flight or a flight schedule to and from Sofia Airport could receive the information by text message. 12211 is the number to which messages can be sent from all mobile telephone operators, with either a specific flight number to check its status or with the name of the city a flight is departing or arriving from or to Sofia Airport, in order to check the schedule.  

Bulgarian citizens were given free online access to the National Revenue Agency (NRA) dedicated website at www.nap.bg since February. After accessing the NRA site, the user is re-directed to the specific health payments check facility, at https://inetdec.nra.bg/ . This initiative allows Bulgarian citizens to check on the status of their health insurance payments.

ID Documents Fiasco

Following its launch, the new electronic system for issuing personal identity documents, including biometric data passports, was overwhelmed by the number of users online and temporary and sporadic delays in servicing citizens' needs occurred, with the Interior Ministry blaming mostly the German company Siemens, which manufactured the software.

In an attempt to eliminate the long lines, the Interior Ministry decided to keep passport offices open for extended hours and on Saturdays. 

A 6-month gratis period was given to documents, which expired in 2010, because of the problems with the system. However, long queues that formed in front of the passport offices made many people delay issuing the new documents. However, the Interior Ministry announced there will be no gratis period in 2011 and people with expired documents would be fined.

Bulgarian Jews

The Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, offered to the Auschwitz Museum as a gift 17 documents related to the rescue of the country's Jews during World War II.

The donation was made in January during the ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. 150 concentration camp prisoners and politicians took part in the event. The museum director, Piotr Cywinski, pointed out that the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews was a light in the dark tunnel of World War II.

Healthcare

380 000 Bulgarians have lost their rights to free healthcare after changes in the health insurance laws, Katya Kashumov, from the National Revenue Agency confirmed in January.

According to the new laws people who have not paid their health insurancecontributions for a total of three months over the last three years will lose their rights to free health care.

If people want to regain their rights to free healthcare they will now have to re-pay all of their outstanding health insurance payments as well as any interest incurred.

Bulgaria Watered Down Smoking Ban

In May, Bulgaria's parliament approved the ruling-party proposal to water down the full smoking ban in the country.

The MPs passed at second reading the more liberal rules for smoking in public spaces and abolished for good the full smoking ban.

Under the proposed changes smoking was allowed in separate smoking spaces inside restaurants, bars, coffee shops, railroad stations, airports, ports, and bus stations.

The owners of restaurants, clubs and coffee shops with an area less than 50 square meters, had to decide if smoking would be allowed.

The smoking ban was voted by the previous parliament and was supposed to become effective on June 1, but the current MPs approved the amendments to the Health Care Act, proposed by the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party.

The draft legislation has surprisingly managed to fuse the ruling center-right GERB with the main opposition Socialist Party. The ad hoc coalition claimed that the proposed relaxation of a ban on smoking in all public places would avoid hurting the tourist industry during tough economic times.

Similar measures were imposed as part of a partial smoking ban in 2005 but have been widely ignored.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, has slammed the Bulgaria government's decision to delay the full smoking ban in public places. 

700 Rally for Bulgaria's 3rd Gay Parade

Bulgaria's 3rd annual gay parade "Sofia Pride" went without violent incidents largely thanks to the decisive actions of the 300 riot police officers guarding the rally.

Some 700 people – about as many as the organizers had expected – participated in the procession which started at the National Palace of Culture and proceeded down the Vasil Levski Blvd to the Monument of the Soviet Army where the participants watched a concert dedicated to the initiative.

The parade under the motto "Love equality, embrace diversity" was led by an open-platform truck with a sound system and several people dancing on it. It started at about 5 pm.

The participants in the parade included gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight, and featured guests from the UK, Germany, Russia, France, and Greece, including UK Labor MEP Michael Cashman and a heterosexual man from the Netherlands who came specially to support gay rights in Bulgaria. The Chair of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Krasimir Kanev also joined the procession.

More than 300 riot police officers watched closely the actual gay parade and prevented several far-right extremists from assaulting the participants although the former did hurl verbal abuse.

Bulgarian Muslims' Protests

Tensions have been shaking the Muslim community in Bulgaria since May 12, 2010 when the Supreme Court of Cassations ruled to annul the decisions of the October 2009 National Muslim Conference, at which Mustafa Alish Hadzhi was elected as Chief Mufti.

The court ruled the reinstatement of former Chief Mufti, Nedim Gendzhev, at his position, which triggered a wave of protest rallies among Muslims across the country. Gendzhev appears to be resented by many Muslims in Bulgaria because of his alleged involvement in controversial practices.

The protesting Bulgarian Muslims stated their demand for Mustafa Alish Hadzhi to be announced their official Chief Mufti.

Protests against Monitoring of Internet Traffic

Over 300 people gathered outside the Bulgarian Parliament in January to protest against the center-right GERB government's proposed changes to the Electronic Communications Act, which proposed monitoring of internet traffic and mobile phone calls.

The national protest 'Bulgaria is not Big Brother, 2010 is not 1984' centered its attention on the Bulgaria Parliament and was supported by over 25 political parties and organizations including the the main opposition parties' – Bulgarian Socialist Party and the ethnic Turkish DPS party - MPs turned out to support the protesters.

Anti-GMO Protests

In the first half of the year, several hundred Bulgarians protested against the allowing of genetically modified organisms (GMO) by the country's legislation.

On January 13, 2010, the Parliament adopted the GMO act at the first reading. According to environmentalists and some farmers, it was a first step towards allowing GMO in Bulgaria.

According to a survey, about 97% of Bulgarians were against the proliferation of genetically modified organism (GMOs) in the country.

In March, MPs from the Bulgaria Parliamentary Environment Committee endorsed further amendments to the GMO Act which prohibit GM crops in the country.

Labor Unions Protests

The Bulgarian labor unions have organized several protests against the proposals for amendments to the Social Insurance Act, including the increase of the retirement age by 3 years.

Protests of Scientists, Researchers

Bulgarian scientists and researchers also staged many protests against the Cabinet's policies of budget cuts in the education and science sectors.

Organizers said the actions of the Education Ministry have stirred utter chaos in the system and belittle scientists and researchers, especially young ones.

The protesters also pointed out that Bulgaria has the lowest budget for science in Europe, which makes the country rank among Third World countries.

University Students Protests

Bulgaria's university students also went out to protest in October as university rectors were pressing demands for at least a partial back off from proposed radical cuts in state funding for higher education.

The students insisted that the government allots no less than 1.13% of the country's GDP for funding higher education.

Policemen Protests

The policemen staged several protests in the fall. The demonstrators demanded improvement in their work conditions and obtaining more modern equipment. Demands also included adequate overtime pay.

Participants included policemen not only from Sofia, but from the cities of Blagoevgrad, Kardzhali, and Smoliyan, and the towns of Zlatarevo, Petrich, Madan, Rudozem, and Sandanski.

'Unite and Conquer' Protests

In November, Bulgarian scientists, university professors and students, doctors and people working in the culture sphere decided to unite for a protest against the government's radical state cuts for 2011.

The protesters united against the principle "divide and conquer," which, according to them, was the leading principle in the government's policies.

The demands were for more state funding for next year and reallocation of the 2011 state budget.

The protesters announced that 5% of the Bulgarian GDP should be spent on healthcare, instead of the envisioned 3,76%. The same percentage was demanded for education, instead of the envisioned 3,3%. Scientists and people working in the culture sphere demanded 1% of the GDP to go for each of their fields.

Protests of Filmmakers, Musicians

Bulgarian filmmakers and musicians staged several protest rallies against budget cuts in the culture sector. The demonstrators said they would not allow the genocide of Bulgarian cinema while musicians were against possible amendments to the copyrights law.

The musicians said these amendments would be to their disadvantage because they will create conditions for obscure artistic organizations to impose their own lobbyist interests.

Filmmakers took on the streets after it became clear that the cabinet of the GERB party was considering changes where financing of Bulgarian movies will be offered only if there "are enough resources" while the number of films receiving subsidies will be scaled down to 7.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!