874.00/7–645: Telegram
No. 305
The Representative in Bulgaria
(Barnes) to the Secretary of State
339. …
. . . . . . .
In this connection it cannot be emphasized too strongly that the firmness of the Democratic Cabinet members, including the Socialist Cheshmedjieff and the independent Stoyanov, in addition to [Page 402] Petkov’s Agrarians, is predicted [predicated] largely on the hope that the cessation of hostilities in Europe will shortly bring an end to exclusive Soviet domination of Bulgar affairs. They greet eagerly all indications even the most inconclusive that we and the Brit have not abandoned the south Slav to Russia. While these elements doubtless realize that we and the Brit were not prepared dangerously to star in our relation with Russia over Bulgn domestic political affairs they hope for some form of concrete assurance that the western democracies will not deviate from their traditional interest in this country and that they will never hypocritically welcome a Communist dominated Bulgaria into the family of United Nations as a bona fide democracy.
While hope for signs of encouragement from the west still sustains the bulk of the Agrarians and other democratic elements in the country the communists and their allies are busily engaged in the more realistic business of preparing for election. The press regularly carries detailed instructions regarding duties and rights of the citizens with respect to registration, obtaining election cards, etc., and local officials of all categories are being indoctrinated by reps of Min of Interior. Carefully selected committees of Communist-dominated Obbov Agrarians are meeting on July 8 to choose their party’s candidates for each district and Obbov’s comm will then elect from this group the number of candidates as voted by the FF to the Agrarian Party. Obbov’s committee further reserves to itself the right to replace candidates selected by local committees with others on [of?] Obbov’s choice.
Rptd to Moscow as 182.