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Bulgaria
is a
parliamentary
democracy.
Conventional
long
form
name:
Republic
of
Bulgaria.
Capital:
Sofia
Administrative
divisions:
28
provinces
(oblasti,
singular
-
oblast);
Blagoevgrad,
Burgas,
Dobrich,
Gabrovo,
Khaskovo,
Kurdzhali,
Kyustendil,
Lovech,
Montana,
Pazardzhik,
Pernik,
Pleven,
Plovdiv,
Razgrad,
Ruse,
Shumen,
Silistra,
Sliven,
Smolyan,
Sofiya,
Sofiya-Grad,
Stara
Zagora,
Turgovishte,
Varna,
Veliko
Turnovo,
Vidin,
Vratsa,
Yambol
Independence:
3
March
1878
(as
an
autonomous
principality
within
the
Ottoman
Empire);
22
September
1908
(complete
independence
from
the
Ottaman
Empire)
National
holiday:
Liberation
Day,
3
March
(1878)
Constitution:
adopted
12
July
1991
Legal
system:
civil
law
and
criminal
law
based
on
Roman
law;
accepts
compulsory
ICJ
jurisdiction
Executive
branch:
chief
of
state:
President
Georgi
PURVANOV
(since
22
January
2002);
Vice
President
Angel
MARIN
(since
22
January
2002)
head
of
government:
Chairman
of
the
Council
of
Ministers
(Prime
Minister)
Simeon
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA
(since
24
July
2001);
Deputy
Prime
Ministers
Nikolay
VASILEV
(since
24
July
2001),
and
Lidiya
SHULEVA
(since
24
July
2001),
Plamen
PANAYOTOV
(since
17
July
2003)
cabinet:
Council
of
Ministers
elected
by
the
National
Assembly
elections:
president
and
vice
president
elected
on
the
same
ticket
by
popular
vote
for
five-year
terms;
election
last
held
11
November
and
18
November
2001
(next
to
be
held
NA
2006);
chairman
of
the
Council
of
Ministers
(prime
minister)
nominated
by
the
president;
deputy
prime
ministers
nominated
by
the
prime
minister
election
results:
Georgi
PURVANOV
elected
president;
percent
of
vote
-
Georgi
PURVANOV
54.13%,
Petar
STOYANOV
45.87%
Legislative
branch:
unicameral
National
Assembly
or
Narodno
Sobranie
(240
seats;
members
elected
by
popular
vote
to
serve
four-year
terms)
elections:
last
held
17
June
2001
(next
to
be
held
NA
June
2005)
election
results:
percent
of
vote
by
party
-
NMS2
42.74%,
UtdDF
18.18%,
CfB
17.15%,
MRF
7.45%;
seats
by
party
-
NMS2
120,
UtdDF
51,
CfB
48,
MRF
21;
note
-
seating
as
of
January
2004
-
NMS2
108,
UtdDF
49,
CfB
48,
MRF
20,
independents
15
Judicial
branch:
Supreme
Administrative
Court;
Supreme
Court
of
Cassation;
Constitutional
Court
(12
justices
appointed
or
elected
for
nine-year
terms);
Supreme
Judicial
Council
(consists
of
the
chairmen
of
the
two
Supreme
Courts,
the
Chief
Prosecutor,
and
22
other
members;
responsible
for
appointing
the
justices,
prosecutors,
and
investigating
magistrates
in
the
justice
system;
members
of
the
Supreme
Judicial
Council
elected
for
five-year
terms,
11
elected
by
the
National
Assembly
and
11
by
bodies
of
the
judiciary)
Political
parties
and
leaders:
Bulgarian
Socialist
Party
or
BSP
[Sergei
STANISHEV];
Coalition
for
Bulgaria
or
CfB
(coalition
of
parties
dominated
by
BSP)
[Sergei
STANISHEV];
Movement
for
Rights
and
Freedoms
or
MRF
[Ahmed
DOGAN];
National
Movement
for
Simeon
II
or
NMS2
[Simeon
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA];
Union
of
Democratic
Forces
or
UDF
[Nadezhda
MIKHAYLOVA];
Union
of
Free
Democrats
or
UFD
[Stefan
SOFIYANSKI];
United
Democratic
Forces
or
UtdDF
(a
coalition
between
the
UDF
and
other
center-right
parties)
Political
pressure
groups
and
leaders:
agrarian
movement;
Confederation
of
Independent
Trade
Unions
of
Bulgaria
or
CITUB;
Podkrepa
Labor
Confederation;
numerous
regional,
ethnic,
and
national
interest
groups
with
various
agendas
International
organization
participation:
ACCT,
Australia
Group,
BIS,
BSEC,
CE,
CEI,
CERN,
EAPC,
EBRD,
EU
(applicant),
FAO,
G-
9,
IAEA,
IBRD,
ICAO,
ICCt,
ICFTU,
ICRM,
IFC,
IFRCS,
IHO
(pending
member),
ILO,
IMF,
IMO,
Interpol,
IOC,
IOM,
ISO,
ITU,
NAM
(guest),
NSG,
OAS
(observer),
OPCW,
OSCE,
PCA,
PFP,
UN,
UNCTAD,
UNESCO,
UNIDO,
UNMEE,
UNMIK,
UPU,
WCL,
WCO,
WEU
(associate
partner),
WFTU,
WHO,
WIPO,
WMO,
WToO,
WTrO,
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