Kostov Government
| Kostov Government | |
|---|---|
 84 cabinet of Bulgaria | |
 | |
| Date formed | 21 May 1997 |
| Date dissolved | 24 July 2001 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of government | Ivan Kostov |
| Deputy head of government |
See list
|
| Head of state | Petar Stoyanov |
| Member parties | United Democratic Forces |
| Status in legislature | Coalition Government |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 1997 |
| Legislature term(s) | 38th National Assembly |
| Outgoing formation | Electoral Defeat (2001) |
| Predecessor | Sofiyanski Government (Provisional) |
| Successor | Sakskoburggotski Government |
The eighty-fourth cabinet of Bulgaria also known as the ruled from May 21, 1997 to July 24, 2001. The government was formed by the United Democratic Forces, an electoral alliance led by the Union of Democratic Forces, after they won a landslide victory in the 1997 parliamentary election winning 49.15% of the votes and 137 (out of 240) seats in the National Assembly.[1] The cabinet was chaired by the UDF leader Ivan Kostov who shared the cabinet posts between his party and his allies. This was the largest margin of victory since the end of communism in 1990, to this day. Kostov's government was the first since 1990 to serve its entire four-year mandate.[2]
Background
In the previous parliamentary election (1994) the Bulgarian Socialist Party won a majority of the seats and the UDF was reduced to 69 seats. Up to that point in time the UDF had formed government only once, under Philip Dimitrov, and governed for one year only (1991-1992). The tide turned on the socialists, however, after the economic meltdown during the winter of 1996-1997 and the government was forced to step down.[3] After declaring their intentions to form a new government, the UDF and other opposition parties staged mass rallies demanding snap elections.[4] Eventually the Socialists bowed to the pressure and agreed. After a caretaker government was appointed in February, early parliamentary elections were scheduled for April, two years before otherwise scheduled.[5] The result was a landslide victory for Ivan Kostov's electoral alliance.
Cabinet
Original Composition
| Ministry | Minister | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Ivan Kostov | UDF |
| Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Education and Science | Veselin Metodiev | DP |
| Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Industry | Alexander Bozhkov | UDF |
| Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works | Evgeni Bakardzhiev | UDF |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Nadezhda Mihaylova | UDF |
| Minister of Interior | Bogomil Bonev | UDF |
| Minister of Finance | Muravey Radev | UDF |
| Minister of Justice and Euro-integration | Vasil Gotsev | DP |
| Minister of Defence | Georgi Ananiev | UDF |
| Minister of Labour and Social Policy | Ivan Neykov | UDF |
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Agrarian Reform | Ventsislav Varbanov | BANU |
| Minister of Transport | Vilhelm Kraus | UDF |
| Minister of Public Administration | Mario Tagarinski | UDF |
| Minister of Environment | Evdokiya Maneva | UDF |
| Minister of Health | Petar Boyadzhiev | Independent |
| Minister of Culture | Emma Moskova | Independent |
| Minister of Tourism and Trade | Valentin Vasilev | UDF |
Changes on December 21, 1999
In December of 1999 the National Security Agency released a report following a sweeping investigation, written by Tsvetlin Iovchev, outlining possible security threats. Michael Cherney, an Uzbekistan-born Israeli businessman, was expelled from the country and forbidden from reentering for 10 years for his ties to foreign criminal money-laundering schemes. Also, three diplomats from the Russian embassy were expelled from the country and their spy was arrested, accused of leaking classified documents to the Russians.
The following changes were made to the Cabinet:
- The Ministry of Transportation was transformed into the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Antoni Slavinski (DP) was chosen to be the new minister.
- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Agrarian Reform was transformed into the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry. Ventsislav Vurbanov remained the Minister.
- The Ministry of Justice and Euro-integration was reorganized into the Ministry of Justice. Teodosy Symeonov (Ind) became the new minister.
- The Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Tourism and Trade were merged to become the Ministry of Economy. The new minister was Petar Zhotev (Ind). He also became deputy Prime Minister, the only one to hold that office in the second half (1999-2001) of the government.
- Prime Minister Ivan Kostov takes over the Ministry of Public Administration.
- The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is taken over by Evgeni Chachev (Ind).
- Dimitar Dimitrov (DP) became the new Minister of Education and Science.
- Boyko Noyev (Ind) was appointed as the new Minister of Defence.
- Emanuyl Yordanov (?) was appointed as the new Minister of Interior.
- Ilko Semerdzhiev (?) was appointed as the new Minister of Health.
- Aleksander Pramatarski (DP) was appointed as a minister without portfolio.
References
- ↑ "1997 Parliamentary Elections". Project on Political Transformation and the Electoral Process in Post-Communist Europe. University of Essex. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ↑ Crampton, R.J. (2005). A Concise History of BULGARIA. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 236.
- ↑ Crampton, p235
- ↑ Crampton, p235
- ↑ "ИВАН КОСТОВ ЗАБРАВИ, ЧЕ „АБСОЛЮТНАТА ВЛАСТ ПОГУБВА“". Razuznavane.com. Разузнаване.ком. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
External Links
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