Published by Wikileaks & Bivol.bg
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. 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
