Elections 2009 - Parties
DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms)
History
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) is a centrist Bulgarian political party, often described as the party of Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish minority. The DPS defines itself as a liberal party, and is a member of the Liberal International.
The party began as an underground organization in the 1980s by the name Turkish National Freedom Movement as a response to the so called "Revival Process", an assimilation campaign undertaken by the Bulgarian Communist Party, in which first ethnic Bulgarian Muslims (known as Pomaks), and then Bulgaria's ethnic Turks were forced to replace their Arabic-sounding names with Slavic-sounding ones.
The DPS was formally founded in 1990, and Ahmed Dogan has been its leader ever since.
In July 1990, the DPS remained third in the general elections for Bulgaria's VII Grand National Assembly with 8% of the votes, and 23 MPs in the 400 Grand National Assembly.
In October 1991, the DPS was third in the Parliamentary Elections, with 7,5% (418 000 votes), and got 24 MPs.
On October 8, 1991, 93 members of Bulgaria's Parliament asked the Constitutional Court to declare the DPS unconstitutional on grounds of article 11.4 of the Constitution which explicitly bans political parties "formed on ethnic, racial, and religious basis". On 21 April 1992, the Court rejected the petition, and affirmed the constitutionality of the DPS.
In 1992-1994, the formally technocrat government of Prime Minister Lyuben Berov was formed with the mandate of the DPS, the third largest political force in the 36th Bulgarian Parliament with 24 MPs. The government was also supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which had 106 MPs in the 240-seat Parliament.
In December 1994, the DPS was fourth in the Parliamentary Elections with 5,44% (283 000 votes), and got 17 MPs.
In April 1997, the DPS as part of a coalition "Union for National Salvation" came in third in the Parliamentary Elections with 7,6% (323 000 votes); the coalition got 19 MPs.
In 2001, the DPS was fourth in the Parliamentary Elections together with EuroRoma with 7,45% (340 000 votes), and got 21 MPs.
The DPS formed a government with the National Movement "Simeon the Second" (NMSS) which had 120 MPs, one short of an absolute majority. The DPS got two Ministers; the government served its full term.
In 2005, the DPS was third in the Parliamentary Elections with 12,8% (467 000 votes), and got 34 MPs. After complicated negotiations for two months, in August 2005, the BSP, the NMSS, and the DPS formed a government in which the DPS got 3 Ministers. The government was formed with the mandate of the DPS.
Over the last decade, the DPS has become notorious for using "elections tourism", i.e. bringing Bulgarian expats from Turkish origin back from Turkey with special buses in order to have them vote in the Bulgarian elections. Various media reports claim that it is involved in large-scale corruption schemes. Many of those are based on the notorious statement by the DPS leader himself, Ahmed Dogan, made in 2007, that the DPS had its own "rings of firms" that supported it.
In 2005, the far-right and extreme nationalist Ataka party was set up largely feeding upon fears and rumors among the Bulgarian Society that the DPS was an instrument of Turkey's penetration and influence in Bulgaria.
Ideology/Social Base
DPS formally claims to be a liberal centrist party. The party program contains a combination of welfare measures, and measures to improve Bulgaria's business climate. While it has tried to reach out to ethnic Bulgarians, and other Bulgarian minorities like the Roma, according to most accounts, the DPS is in reality a party based on Bulgaria's Turkish minority.
The DPS structures have achieved a high level of cohesion, and are able to mobilize their core electorate to maximum levels. There have been allegations in Bulgaria, especially on the far-right, that the DPS serves Turkey's interests not only in Bulgaria but also in the EU and the European Parliament.
Elections Record
In July 1990, the DPS remained third in the general elections for Bulgaria's VII Grand National Assembly with 8% of the votes, and 23 MPs in the 400 Grand National Assembly.
In October 1991, the DPS was third in the Parliamentary Elections, with 7,5% (418 000 votes), and got 24 MPs.
In December 1994, the DPS was fourth in the Parliamentary Elections with 5,44% (283 000 votes), and got 17 MPs.
In April 1997, the DPS as part of a coalition "Union for National Salvation" came in third in the Parliamentary Elections with 7,6% (323 000 votes); the coalition got 19 MPs.
In June 2001, the DPS was fourth in the Parliamentary Elections together with EuroRoma with 7,45% (340 000 votes), and got 21 MPs.
In June 2005, the DPS was third in the Parliamentary Elections with 12,8% (467 000 votes), and got 34 MPs. After complicated negotiations for two months, in August 2005, the BSP, the
In May 2007, the DPS came in third (and very close to the first and second) in Bulgaria's first European Parliament Elections; the DPS got 20,26% (393 000 votes) and 4 MEPs.
International Political Affiliation
Member of the Liberal International since 2002. DPS Deputy Chair, Dzhevdet Chakurov was elected a Vice-President of the Liberal International in 2008.
Member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group in the European Parliament since May 2007
