FOR a third week in a row, controversy about the decision by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg to appoint communist-era intelligence officer Brigo Asparuhov as an adviser in his political office continued to reverberate in public debate.
In one of the most recent developments this week, visiting British cabinet minister Denis MacShane, who is Minister for Europe in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was expected to raise the matter with Saxe-Coburg. However, Mac-Shane on Wednesday said he had not raised with the people he had met so far, said it was a matter for Saxe-Coburt to decide, and MacShane believed, it would be resolved. Earlier, the British embassy in Sofia sent a note to the Government about the matter, which has been a subject of concern among other Western embassies, as well as NATO.
By mid-week, Saxe-Coburg had not yet appointed Asparuhov, though the other two advisers announced together with Asparuhov had already been appointed.
Government spokesperson Dimitar Tsonev said on Wed-nesday that Saxe-Coburg had not yet signed Asparuhov's labour contract.
In the meantime the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) demanded from the Supreme Cassation Prosecution (SCP) the files on the case on the destruction of the dossier of businessman Atanas Tilev and his past as an agent of the communist-era State Security. Asparuhov was one of the accused in this case, before it was dismissed in 2001 because Asparu-hov was elected as an MP and automatically got immunity.
The demand was initiated by the head of the Sofia City Court, Nelly Kutskova, and was supported by the director of the National Investigative Service (NIS) Rumen Georgiev and 12 other members of the SJC. Eight members of the council, including all prosecutors, voted against the demand, and said that the file was secret.
The council demanded from the SCP a copy of the prosecutor's decree dismissing the case against Asparuhov.
Many of the members of the SJC, however, were skeptical that Prosecutor-General Nikola Fil-chev would give any details on the case.
Earlier this week media reports about the dismissal of the case against Asparuhov caused controversy. Initially it was reported that the case against Asparuhov had been dismissed. Then the head of the Supreme Cassation Court Ivan Grigorov said that the case could not be dismissed by the prosecution.
Tseko Yordanov of the SCP, however, said that the case was dismissed by a military prosecutor and would not be reopened.
At the end of last week, it emerged that outgoing British ambassador in Sofia Ian Soutar had sent a demarche to Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry expressing the UK's concern about plans to appoint Asparuhov to the new post.
This was followed by media reports that The Netherlands and Italy also had expressed concern about the matter.
But foreign ministry spokes-person Lyubomir Todorov confirmed only the existence of the demarche sent by Soutar.
Ahmed Dogan, leader of the coalition partners of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said that the appointment of Asparuhov was a test for national sovereignty, and said the comments by the UK, NATO, Italy and The Netherlands were a gross violation of this sovereignty.
Meanwhile the Deputy Spea-ker of Parliament and MP from the United Democratic Forces (UtDF) Assen Agov said that Foreign Minister Solomon Passi and Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov should consider resigning from their positions if Aspa-ruhov is appointed.
Agov suggested that they should resign because the appointment was contrary to the entire foreign policy of Bulgaria towards NATO.
In one of the most recent developments this week, visiting British cabinet minister Denis MacShane, who is Minister for Europe in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was expected to raise the matter with Saxe-Coburg. However, Mac-Shane on Wednesday said he had not raised with the people he had met so far, said it was a matter for Saxe-Coburt to decide, and MacShane believed, it would be resolved. Earlier, the British embassy in Sofia sent a note to the Government about the matter, which has been a subject of concern among other Western embassies, as well as NATO.
By mid-week, Saxe-Coburg had not yet appointed Asparuhov, though the other two advisers announced together with Asparuhov had already been appointed.
Government spokesperson Dimitar Tsonev said on Wed-nesday that Saxe-Coburg had not yet signed Asparuhov's labour contract.
In the meantime the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) demanded from the Supreme Cassation Prosecution (SCP) the files on the case on the destruction of the dossier of businessman Atanas Tilev and his past as an agent of the communist-era State Security. Asparuhov was one of the accused in this case, before it was dismissed in 2001 because Asparu-hov was elected as an MP and automatically got immunity.
The demand was initiated by the head of the Sofia City Court, Nelly Kutskova, and was supported by the director of the National Investigative Service (NIS) Rumen Georgiev and 12 other members of the SJC. Eight members of the council, including all prosecutors, voted against the demand, and said that the file was secret.
The council demanded from the SCP a copy of the prosecutor's decree dismissing the case against Asparuhov.
Many of the members of the SJC, however, were skeptical that Prosecutor-General Nikola Fil-chev would give any details on the case.
Earlier this week media reports about the dismissal of the case against Asparuhov caused controversy. Initially it was reported that the case against Asparuhov had been dismissed. Then the head of the Supreme Cassation Court Ivan Grigorov said that the case could not be dismissed by the prosecution.
Tseko Yordanov of the SCP, however, said that the case was dismissed by a military prosecutor and would not be reopened.
At the end of last week, it emerged that outgoing British ambassador in Sofia Ian Soutar had sent a demarche to Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry expressing the UK's concern about plans to appoint Asparuhov to the new post.
This was followed by media reports that The Netherlands and Italy also had expressed concern about the matter.
But foreign ministry spokes-person Lyubomir Todorov confirmed only the existence of the demarche sent by Soutar.
Ahmed Dogan, leader of the coalition partners of the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said that the appointment of Asparuhov was a test for national sovereignty, and said the comments by the UK, NATO, Italy and The Netherlands were a gross violation of this sovereignty.
Meanwhile the Deputy Spea-ker of Parliament and MP from the United Democratic Forces (UtDF) Assen Agov said that Foreign Minister Solomon Passi and Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov should consider resigning from their positions if Aspa-ruhov is appointed.
Agov suggested that they should resign because the appointment was contrary to the entire foreign policy of Bulgaria towards NATO.
