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### Viewing cable 05SOFIA1685, BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS HE WILL DISBAND

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05SOFIA1685 | 2005-09-30 15:34 | 2011-05-21 19:00 | SECRET | Embassy Sofia

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    id: 41745
    date: 9/30/2005 15:34
    refid: 05SOFIA1685
    origin: Embassy Sofia
    classification: SECRET
    destination: 05SOFIA1618|05STATE181135
    header:
    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

    ----------------- header ends ----------------

    S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 SOFIA 001685

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2015
    TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KCRM BG
    SUBJECT: BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS HE WILL DISBAND
    ADVISORY COUNCIL

    REF: A. SOFIA 1618
         ¶B. STATE 181135 (C-RE5-01170)

    Classified By: Amb. John Beyrle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (c).

    ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: Interior Minister Rumen Petkov's appointment
    of a "Citizen's Advisory Council" consisting largely of
    retired Communist-era security officials has caused a
    domestic political uproar in Bulgaria that has forced the
    Socialist-led government into some quick backtracking. Petkov
    told Amb. Beyrle Sept. 30 that he will disband the council
    within two months, following passage of the security reform
    law in Parliament. Nonetheless, the very naming of such a
    retrograde group has only reinforced many Bulgarians' worst
    fears about the Socialists (BSP), and even BSP apologists
    agree the appointment of the Council was a tremendous
    public-relations blunder. Embassy will continue to press
    Petkov to make good on his pledge; on balance, we see the
    bulk of his appointments to operational positions in the
    Ministry as good for continued bilateral cooperation,
    especially on the counterterrorism front. END SUMMARY.

     "Advisory Council": Forces From the Past
    --------------------------------------------- ----

    ¶2. (C) According to Petkov, the 13-member Council was
    designed as an outside body of former high-ranking Interior
    Ministry officials who could draw on their past experience to
    monitor and critique the work of the Ministry, particularly
    as restructuring legislation moves forward. The Council,s
    membership, however, is a collection of some of Bulgaria,s
    worst unreformed and retrograde figures from the communist
    era.  The panel includes a number of leading figures from the
    so-called Generals, Movement, a faction within BSP that was
    launched in 1998 as a counterweight to the reformist agenda
    of then party chairman Georgi Purvanov.  The Generals
    strongly opposed Purvanov,s efforts to move the party
    towards NATO membership, preferring instead to orient the
    country more towards Russia. Many members of the Movement
    have close ties with former KGB officials and questionable
    Russian businesses. Although the Generals, influence has
    waned in recent years, they are still a potent factor in the
    BSP, largely due to their economic ties, participation in
    party funding and access to valuable information from State
    Security and MOI archives.  (See full roster and bios at
    para. 8)

    ¶3. (C) Amb. Beyrle met with Petkov Sept. 30 to convey growing
    concern in Washington about the council (ref B). Petkov
    reiterated his earlier assertion (ref A) that the council
    would have no operational role and no access to classified
    information.  Further, he added, the council will "cease to
    exist" in two months, following passage of the security
    reform law currently pending before Parliament.  Since the
    council had been created to help win support for the
    restructuring envisioned in the legislation, there will "be
    no need" for its continued existence after the law is passed,
    Petkov claimed.

    New Council Draws Fire
    ----------------------

    ¶4.  (C) This rapid backpedaling is clearly a response to
    furious criticism of the council from Bulgaria's political
    opposition.   The two main center-right groups--the Union of
    Democratic Forces (UDF) and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria
    (DSB)--said the appointment of the Council jeopardized
    Bulgaria,s NATO membership and discredits the country in the
    eyes of its Western allies.  DSB chairman Ivan Kostov called
    the appointment of the Council a "shameful act of restoring
    the totalitarian past" and an "arrogant provocation against
    democracy."  The head of UDF Mihailova remarked that she had
    discussed the Council with the deputy heads of NATO in
    Brussels and emphasized the murky past of the Council members
    and their opposition to democratic reforms.

    ¶5.  (C) Prime Minister Stanishev has defended Petkov's
    decision to create the council both in parliament and with
    the press.  At the same time, he has underscored the fact
    that the Council has no leadership or operational functions
    in the Ministry, and subsequently announced that he, and not
    a Deputy PM, will have direct oversight of the MOI (as well
    as the Defense and Finance Ministries).  President Purvanov,
    a close ally of Petkov's in the BSP, has made no comment
    about the Council.  Bulgaria's U.S. Ambassador Poptodorova,
    back in Sofia for consultations, told us that Petkov had
    surprised both Purvanov and Stanishev when he announced
    formation of the council, and that the BSP was scrambling to
    limit the fallout. Indeed, even Lyuben Gotsev himself
    publicly questioned whether the Council should have been
    formed without more thought and argued that, given the recent
    controversy, perhaps the Council should be transformed into a
    true citizen,s advisory panel, including sociologists and
    writers.
    Currying Favor with the Generals
    --------------------------------

    ¶6.  (C) Petkov,s motivations for establishing the Council
    and choosing its particular members may in part be rooted in
    his desire to stay in the good graces of the Generals
    Movement.  Tatyana Doncheva, a prominent BSP MP and the
    Socialists, candidate for the Sofia mayor's race, told us
    that by creating the Council Petkov was aiming to preserve
    the internal party balance in BSP after the Generals failed
    to install their own candidate in the Interior Minister's
    post. Although Petkov enjoys warm ties with some of the
    Generals, he is not part of their faction and is closer to
    the reformist wing, which includes Purvanov and Stanishev.
    According to Doncheva, Petkov initiated the Council to secure
    support for re-election as deputy chairman at the upcoming
    BSP congress. Doncheva, who is no fan of Petkov, said she did
    not believe Petkov would give any real powers to the Council,
    but mostly sought to soothe the wounded pride of its leaders
    so they do not cause him trouble during his term as minister
    or initiate actions for his removal from the BSP deputy
    leader's post.

    COMMENT
    --------

    ¶7.  (S) Whatever Petkov intended by setting up the Council,
    the controversy he sparked demonstrates the high level of
    wariness toward the old-guard faction that clearly still
    retains some influence within the BSP.  We will continue to
    press the Stanishev government to see that Petkov carries
    through with his stated intention to disband this group.
    Overall, personnel decisions he has made on the operational
    side, in particular at the head of the main security service,
    augur well for continued close cooperation on the
    counter-terrorism front.  Nonetheless, our ultimate
    assessment of Petkov's performance will be based on the
    results he shows in reducing the level of corruption and
    criminality in Bulgaria, that he himself has told us is his
    highest priority. END COMMENT.

    ¶8. (U) Members of the MOI Advisory Council:

    Lybuen Gotsev: A graduate of Moscow's Foreign Relations
    Institute, Gotsev worked for the First Directorate of State
    Security from 1961 to 1990. During that time, he served in
    Western Europe, Canada and the US.  From 1974 to 1982 he was
    the Deputy Chief of the First Directorate and later became
    Deputy Foreign Minister under Todor Zhivkov,s regime
    (1982-1989). He served as Deputy Interior Minister in the
    Socialist Lukanov cabinet (1989-1990). In 1996 Gotsev joined
    the Board of Directors of Yukos Petroleum, later named Nafex.
     He founded Generals, Movement in BSP in January 1998.

    Brigo Asparuhov: A former officer of the First Directorate of
    State Security, Asparuhov later became the Head of National
    Intelligence Service (NIS) from 1991-1997. He joined BSP
    after being fired from NIS.  Asparuhov was elected to
    parliament as a BSP deputy (2001-2005).  His nomination to
    the post of national security advisor under former Prime
    Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg was reversed after protests from
    a number of NATO member states, led by the U.S. He is a
    founding member of the General,s Movement.

    Todor Boyadzheiv: Boyadzheiv held a number of positions in
    the communist State Security service, the last of which was
    Deputy Chief of First Directorate of State Security. He
    served as Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry from
    1991-1992. He is a founding member of the Generals' Movement.
     Boyadzheiv was elected to parliament as a BSP deputy
    (2001-2005).

    Ginyo Ganev: Ganev, is a prominent lawyer and son-in-law of
    Kimon Georgiev, Bulgaria's first prime minister after the
    communist takeover in 1944. He served as Chairman of the
    Communist party-linked Fatherland Front until the
    organization was disbanded in 1990. He was Chairman of the
    Citizens Advisory Panel of Multigroup, one of the biggest
    organized crime groups in Bulgaria.  Ganev was twice elected
    to parliament as a BSP deputy (1997-2005).

    Bogomil Bonev: A former police chief of Sofia, Bonev served
    as Interior Minister in the Sofianski and Kostov governments.
    He was fired by Kostov in 1999 as part a cabinet reshuffled
    following allegations of corruption. He is reported to have
    ties to the shady businessman Michael Chorny.  Bonev launched
    the Civic Party in 2000, which failed to get into parliament.
     He was equally unsuccessful in his bid to become President
    in the 2001 elections.
    Lyudmil Marinchevski: Marinchevski worked in the Interior
    Ministry from 1966 to 1991. He was Chief Secretary of the
    Interior Ministry and late Deputy Interior Minister in
    Lukanov governments.  His name has appeared on a list of
    known State Security agents.

    Georgi Lambov: Lambov was fired as Head of the Unit for
    Combating Drug Trafficking in the Central Service for
    Combating Organized Crime for unauthorized contacts with
    suspected organized crime groups; he has served there from
    1989 to 1992.  He served as Chief Secretary of Interior
    Ministry Chief in Videnov government (1995-1997).

    Kosta Bogatsevski: Bogatsevski, who currently works as a
    lawyer, served as an investigating magistrate in the Interior
    Ministry's Chief Investigation Service and later became
    Deputy Chief of the National Investigation Service
    (1991-1993).  He served as Chief Secretary of the Interior
    Ministry under the Berov government (1993-1994).

    Rumen Stoilov: Stoilov served as Interior Ministry Secretary
    under the Berov government (1993-1994) and also as Deputy
    Interior Minster in Simeon Saxe-Coburg,s cabinet
    (2001-2005).

    Goran Simeonov: Simeonov is a former officer of First
    Directorate. He is the current Chairman of the Association of
    Retired Intelligence Officers, which has ties with Russia,s
    organization of retired intelligence officers.  Simeonov runs
    a number of private businesses (ARIMEX, Hristov & Co.,
    partner in EART).

    Pavel Nikolov: A former officer of Second Directorate for
    State Security (counterintelligence), Nikolov served as
    Director of the National Security Service under the Videnov
    government (1995-1997). He is Chairman of the Association of
    Retired Counterintelligence Officers.

    Chavdar Chervenkov: A former employee of the Intelligence
    Department of the Army Chief of Staff, Chervenkov became
    Deputy Chief of the Army Chief of Staff and later head of
    Military Intelligence Service. He was Minister of Interior in
    the interim government of Renata Indzhova (1994-1995).

    Pencho Penev: Penev is a former Minister of Interior and
    Constitutional Court judge. He now heads the National
    Institute of Justice, which trains young judges, prosecutors
    and investigators.
    BEYRLE

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