874.00/8–645: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
Sofia, August 6,
1945—2 p.m.
[Received 7:45 p.m.]
[Received 7:45 p.m.]
417. My 410 of August 3. Following are verified examples of method used by Fatherland Front to obstruct registration of opposition candidates for coming elections.
- 1.
- Numerous arrests have been made of persons visiting Agrarian leader Nikola Petkov before his resignation; 7 persons arrested in Samokov and 6 in Kyustndilon July 16; during last week of registration of candidates, July 19 to 26, 14 persons who had sponsored candidates on opposition lists were arrested in various provincial towns.
- 2.
- Candidate in Belacherkva received from local authorities required document certifying that he enjoyed full civil and political rights, but with the additional note that “this person has Fascist tendencies and is engaged in extreme Fascist activity.”
- 3.
- Opposition list in Pernik was invalidated by court when 3 sponsors were forced by militia to withdraw their signatures, even though these withdrawals took place after the final date of registrations.
- 4.
- Candidates in Starazagora forced by militia threats on July 30 to withdraw his legally registered candidacy.
- 5.
- Pazardjik District Court accepted opposition list as valid in document dated July 27 but reversed its decision on same day on ground that, while list had been legally registered on last day of alloted period, registration had taken place after office hours of court and was therefore invalid.
- 6.
- In Viden 3 sponsors were held under arrest on last day of registration. Thus preventing registration of opposition list.
- 7.
- Hristo Stoyanov, Minister of Interior in Stamboliski Cabinet of 1920–23, kept under house arrest in Shumen without charges from June 12 to July 26 and upon release informed by police chief that purpose of arrest had been to prevent him from organizing opposition list in Shumen district.
It goes without saying that only a relatively small number of these cases illegal obstruction come to the Mission’s attention in the form of verified reports.
Repeated to Moscow as 215.
Barnes