Bulgaria's top two rightist parties, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), officially gave the go-ahead to their pre-election campaign with an event, reminiscent of the times of the birth of democracy.

The two parties agreed in the middle of September to run jointly in the local vote in Sofia and tied up in a coalition named "Right-Wing Alliance". After five hours of intensive talks their representatives managed to put difference aside and settled on Martin Zaimov, their candidate for mayor, to lead the joint ticket for municipal councillors.

"The Union of Democratic Forces has a new political and public mission in these elections. Today we lay the foundations of the right-wing alliance and mark the start of another long-term campaign," the recently elected UDF leader Plamen Yurukov said.

In his short speech the candidate for Sofia mayor Martin Zaimov recalled the events from the winter of 1997 when the worst violence since the collapse of one-party Communist rule erupted. The demonstrators stormed the building to confront more than 100 legislators from Bulgaria's governing Socialist Party and demand new elections. Dozens were injured in clashes with riot police.

"Do you remember the times when we got beaten up in from the parliament in 1997? I do not want policemen and generals to hold the political power in Bulgaria," Zaimov said, referring to his two major rivals - incumbent General Boyko Borisov and former intelligence chief General Brigo Asparuhov.

The joint runners for mayors in Varna, Plovdiv, Montana, Pernik, Pleven and Vidin attacked the self-proclaimed centre-right party GERB, describing it as a balloon that would burst in two years. GERB was founded and is formally led by the popular mayor of Sofia Boyko Borisov.

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