Bulgarian government survives confidence vote

Bulgaria's Socialist-led government survived a confidence vote Friday, fending off opposition charges that the party had close ties to organized crime. The motion, introduced by the parliamentary opposition, was rejected in the 240-member legislature along party lines. The vote was 117 to 82, with 35 abstentions. The remaining six lawmakers were absent. Bulgarian government survives confidence vote "We have witnessed a full collapse of the law-enforcement function of the state and institutions," said Plamen Panayotov of the opposition Bulgarian New Democracy party. It was the fifth confidence vote that Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev's center-left government has had to face since he took office in 2005. National elections are due by 2009. The most recent vote followed the arrest of two senior police officials who were charged with abuse of power and revealing state secrets to crime bosses. Criticism against the government was fueled as well by two high-profile murders in Sofia, the capital. The victims were a top-level businessman and an author who wrote about the criminal underworld. Before the vote Friday, the government approved a plan drafted by Interior Minister Rumen Petkov to reform the police, including a staff shake-up, legal changes and tougher oversight. But there was a sign Friday that the three-party coalition is fraying: All 35 legislators from the NMSP party abstained from voting. After the tense vote, Stanishev said cabinet changes would be made to prevent "the government serving out its term in office limping along." He did not elaborate. Demonstrators in Sofia today (Beta)

Bulgarian government survives confidence vote

"We have witnessed a full collapse of the law-enforcement function of the state and institutions," said Plamen Panayotov of the opposition Bulgarian New Democracy party.

It was the fifth confidence vote that Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev's center-left government has had to face since he took office in 2005. National elections are due by 2009.

The most recent vote followed the arrest of two senior police officials who were charged with abuse of power and revealing state secrets to crime bosses.

Criticism against the government was fueled as well by two high-profile murders in Sofia, the capital. The victims were a top-level businessman and an author who wrote about the criminal underworld.

Before the vote Friday, the government approved a plan drafted by Interior Minister Rumen Petkov to reform the police, including a staff shake-up, legal changes and tougher oversight.

But there was a sign Friday that the three-party coalition is fraying: All 35 legislators from the NMSP party abstained from voting.

After the tense vote, Stanishev said cabinet changes would be made to prevent "the government serving out its term in office limping along." He did not elaborate.