On Sunday, February 4, Bulgaria will remember the riotous winter of 1997, which ousted from power the discredited Socialist-led cabinet of Zhan Videnov.

Following the collapse of the banking system and precipitous inflation, the ruling socialists changed leadership and in December 1996 elected Georgi Parvanov to head the party.

Less than two months later, disobeying a party ruling, Parvanov and the BSP's prime minister-nominee Nikolay Dobrev, returned a mandate to form a new government to prevent an escalating crisis.

Upon presenting to President Petar Stoyanov the list of ministers to be included in the new cabinet, Dobrev resigned in connection with the January 1997 events.

On the eve of 10th anniversary since those tumultuous events, Interior Minister Rumen Petkov decorated post-mortem Nikolay Dobrev for his political insight to prevent, as some analysts say, further civil riots.

At the ceremony, held on Saturday, Dobrev's widow Elka said: "He showed that moral can have place in politics."

To remember the 1997 events Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will join Sunday a discussion at the National Palace of Culture.

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