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Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, right, walks with his Hungarian counterpart Ferenc Madl after inspecting the honor guards during the welcoming ceremony in front of the Parliament building in Budapest Monday, Nov. 19, 2001. Trajkovski arrived for a two-day state visit in Hungary Monday. (AP Photo/MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)

Georgi Parvanov, leader of Bulgaria's Socialist Party, celebrates the election results with supporters outside of the National Palace of Culture in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria, Monday, Nov. 19, 2001. Parvanov, a 44-year-old historian, is expected to have won the presidential elections against incumbent President Petar Stoyanov, a 49-year-old lawyer backed by Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski. Final results were ecpected Tuesday, but provisional results gave Parvanov 53.3 percent compared to Stoyanov's 46.7 percent. (AP Photo)

Supporters of the Bulgarian Socialist Party holds posters of the party's leader and presidential candidate Georgi Parvanov reading "The New President", in downtown Sofia early morning Monday, Nov. 19, 2001. Parvanov, a 44-year-old historian, won the presidential runoff elections against incumbent President Petar Stoyanov, a 49-year-old lawyer backed by Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski. (AP Photo)

Journalists closed round Georgi Parvanov, after he cast the ballot yesterday. 8 hours later he won the elections. Photo Marina Angelova

Presidential candidate Georgi Purvanov (left) and his running mate Angel Marin stunned incumbent President Petar Stoyanov during the runoff elections on Sunday. According to the latest unofficial results, Purvanov took approximately 54 per cent of the vote, becoming the country's new president. Lyulin Stamenov/Sofia Echo

MIA

Hungary welcomes the conclusion of the political process for overcoming the crises in the Republic of Macedonia, and completely supports the full implementation of the Agenda proposed by President Trajkovski, which includes the returning of the displaced persons to their homes as well as the returning of the Macedonian security forces throughout the country.

The position of the Hungarian Government was passed to President Trajkovski by his counterpart, the Hungarian President, Ferenc Madl.

At the meeting, during the official visit of the Macedonian President to Budapest, Madl stated that Hungary completely supports the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the activities and determination of Macedonia to handle the terrorism.

Hungarian Government also supported the necessity of further presence of the security forces of the International Community in Republic of Macedonia.

Two Presidents expressed the readiness of Macedonia and Hungary for their active involvement in the global struggle against terrorism.

Trajkovski and Madl estimated that the cooperation between the countries was at a very high level so far, stressing the economy cooperation.

The entrance of the Hungarian company MATAV in "Macedonian telecommunications" has been greeted as it is the biggest foreign investment in Macedonia so far. According to President Madl, many Hungarian investors are particularly interested to invest in Macedonia, especially in the sectors of tourism and trade.

The Hungarian president pointed out that a credit worth 100 millions dollars was approved by his country, and a great deal of the credit resources will be aimed for Macedonia.

The question has been raised for relieving the visa regime, so that Macedonian residents can obtain Shengen visa to enter Hungary and the ministries in charge should resolve this issue.

At the meeting Hungary, which is NATO's member and a first possible candidate to gain the EU membership supported Macedonia in its efforts to integrate within NATO structures.

Trajkovski and Madl both assessed this meeting as new impulse for further enhancing of the bilateral relations of the two countries.

President Trajkovski, was welcomed Monday afternoon with the highest honors at the Budapest airport, and the ceremony took place at the main square "Layosh Koschut". The President of the Macedonian State visited the grave of the unknown hero of Budapest and laid flowers.

President Trajkovski is expected to visit the headquarters of the MATAF Company.

Reality Macedonia

Tetovo Bazaar this morning.

Yesterday one more incident in already shattered atmosphere in Tetovo. Big blast was heard this afternoon at 18.50 in Tetovo.

The police reported that the blast came from unknown explosive device thrown out from the moving car on the entrance of the Tetovo bazaar.

Fortunately there were no human casualties, but the bomb damaged 16 stores.

Nobody took responsibility for the bomb till now and the police is investigating on the spot.

One of the shops in Tetovo Bazaar, damaged from yesterdays KLA, NLA, ANA bombing.

The so-called Albanian National Army (ANA) claimed responsibility for last nights bomb explosion in Tetovo, the Western agencies said, adding that ANA appeared determined to launch new attacks later this week.

A bomb exploded late on Sunday just outside Tetovos Zelen Pazar (market place). The explosion left no casualties or injuries. As many as 16 nearby stores had been reportedly damaged.

BBC

By Nicholas Wood in Pristina, Kosovo

A bomb in the Macedonian city of Tetovo has raised new concerns for the country's peace process, just days after a peace accord was passed by the country's parliament.

The explosion went off early on Sunday evening in a local market. It was empty at the time.

The detonation comes as Western diplomats try to help end a week-long stand-off between armed ethnic Albanian villagers and police close to the city.

The bomb exploded in Tetovo's green bazaar, a covered market on the edge of the mainly ethnic Albanian city usually crowded with shoppers by daytime.

It is not clear who was responsible but a group calling itself The Albanian National Army called a news agency in Skopje saying it had planted it.

Both Macedonia's press and the Interior Ministry have made repeated claims about the emergence of this new group after the National Liberation Army, the gunmen behind Macedonia's seven-month guerrilla war, disbanded last month.

Albanian discontent

Whether or not this new group does exist, many former members of the NLA are known to be unhappy with the peace process.

They want to be reassured that they will be covered by a government amnesty after giving up their guns in September in a NATO-led operation.

A stark reminder of the failure to solve this issue can be seen around Tetovo.

For the last week gunmen, mainly in civilian clothes, have been in a tense stand-off with police.

The re-emergence of armed ethnic Albanian fighters followed a disastrous police operation last week.

Forces under the control of the Interior Ministry, which is openly opposed to the peace deal, were sent in to seize an alleged mass grave as well as arrest former members of the NLA. Three policemen were killed.

Western diplomatic envoys are hoping they can end the stand-off early this week, as well as firm up the government's amnesty, thereby deterring a full-scale return to arms.

Standartnews

Petar Stoyanov 46,7%
Georgi Parvanov 53,3%
Alfa Research
(100% extract)

Petar Stoyanov 47,3%
Georgi Parvanov 52,7%
Sova Harris
(100% extract)

Petar Stoyanov 45%
Georgi Parvanov 55%
Gallup
(95% extract)

Petar Stoyanov 45,5%
Georgi Parvanov 54,5%
BAFE
(87% extract)

Standartnews

Georgi Parvanov is the newly elected Bulgaria's head of state. He won the second run-off round by 10 percent ahead of Peter Stoyanov. The incumbent president lost because of the "Kostov" regime. "The MRF voters supported me and Georgi Parvanov. Our vote decided the elections," the MRF leader said at 9.00 p.m.. "I term the situation with a monarch as the PM and the president from the BSP as liberal democracy," Dogan elaborated. At 20.50 p.m. the first bottle of champaign was uncorked at Parvanov's staff. Minutes before the press conference started at the NPC winner Parvanov congratulated Ahmed Dogan first. All about the elections.

Standartnews

The staff of Stoyanov pressed the PM to vote, the CEC found a certificate from Wednesday.

A grandiose scandal broke out yesterday after the PM refused to vote for Peter Stoyanov. On landing, back from his visit to the USA at 1.30, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha declared his unwillingness to vote. I can't spent money on travelling to the village of Banya and back, said the PM and went home to Vrana. The problem was the address registration of the PM in the village in Karlovo region. To vote in Sofia he needed a certificate issued by the local municipality. All day long sources from the municipality kept saying that such a document wasn't issued. An hour later the staff of Peter Stoyanov said that after all Simeon will vote. Nobody confirmed this information publicly. In the meantime, well-informed sources said that after the statement of the PM urgent shuttles started to make him vote. At 6 p.m. the press-service of the CM announced that Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha will vote in 82nd school in the Gorublyane residential district of Sofia. Surrounded by journalists and citizens he voted at 6.20 p.m. yesterday. In his hands he had certificate No 90 dated November 14.

Milena Orozova

Standartnews

At 7.00 p.m. Parvanov retired in his office in the BSP HQ at Positano St., to draft his speech of the winner. At 6.20 p.m. three enormous cardboard boxes with champaign and whisky were loaded with great difficulty into the trunk of a car by employees of the socialists' headquarters and the car left for the National Palace of Culture (NPC). Half an hour later Parvanov and his spouse left the building at 20 Positano St. and headed for the electioneering staff in the NPC. "I'll comment after the final results are known," Parvanov said on leaving. He elaborated that he was going to thank his staff for their work well done. To the question whether he would appoint Peter Stoyanov an ambassador, he answered that, at this early stage, he could not comment on such speculations.

Nadelina Aneva

Standartnews

Excerpts from Evgenii Bakardzhiev's interview for 'Standart'

Peter Stoyanov is an established politician. He is the only one to carry out his 5-year mandate without failing. It is another question that we witnessed lots of flaws during the campaign itself and they helped slow down his successful start. As for Georgi Parvanov, the case is more than clear. He is a product of his own party, of the century-old party. He is one of those who are cut according to the party model. He is one of the politicians to come out as if according to a matrix. You can't get confused here. You can't deviate. While we, the democrats are free people, people of their own free will and character. We are very different. We are so different that from time to time it is a bit difficult for us to reconcile our stands. But this is democracy. What happened since the end of 1999 to date is indicative of an ever growing crisis of the way in which the UDF and the state were guided. It has proved that not only we, a part of the UDF, but the overwhelming majority of people don't want any longer the style, the conduct, the rule Ivan Kostov had imposed. The future belongs to a different type of politics. In this sense, if someone has indeed impeded Peter Stoyanov, not only him but all of us from the UDF, this is the authoritarian style of Ivan Kostov. These are harmful things. This is precisely communism in Bulgaria. I don't want to be ruled by such people and will fight to make things different.

(SB)

Standartnews

He apologized for Videnov's rule, but at a party meeting, rather than at a parliamentary session, and for the betrayed expectations, rather than for the penury.

He is quiet, kind, patient. And baffling, quite baffling. Just the way he has to be - depending on the blowing wind. A diligent aparatchik in Lilov's days, a staunch Videnov-ist, a modern social democrat during Kostov's rule. Georgi Parvanov is gifted in no uncertain terms. In one thing - to be opportunistic. And in it, he is good enough to always win. At the same price - to compromise. He is able to compromise with anything - either offices, or opinions, or politics. Provided he achieves his aims. In 1999 he headed the anti-NATO rallies, organized by the BSP. For no other reason than to be liked by the BSP followers, who kept being after his head. In 2000 he yielded to Krassimir Premianov's circle and wrote down in the BSP documents: "Bulgaria's membership in NATO has to be decided through a referendum." A week ago with the same resolution he said: 'I'll be proud if, in my capacity of Bulgaria's president, I will seal the agreement on joining the Treaty." Parvanov speaks antedatedly. He always comes up with an opinion of his own. But voices it post factum. It came to light only now, that he was the first monarchist, the first NATO supporter and the first anti-Videnovist within the BSP. Undoubtedly, in 1995. Parvanov was the only socialist who insisted on a crown in the state coat of arms. But covertly. The BSP never got aware of it. Parvanov defended his stand significatively: he wore a dark necktie strewn with tiny yellow crowns. When asked: "Why?", he answered with a knowing smile. Parvanov really was the only socialist, who apologized in public for the Zhan Videnov's rule. But at a party meeting somewhere in the country, rather than from the parliamentary rostrum. And for the "betrayed expectations", rather than for hunger and penury. To his followers, Parvanov is the politician of the future. The man, able to turn the former communist party into a modern left-wing formation. To his opponents, he is a party man who did succeed in neither of his endevours. Georgi Parvanov, however, may really boast two deeds: giving back the mandate to form a second socialist-led government on February 4, 1997. And the homage to the victims of the People's Court paid by the Parliament. Parvanov was the only MP of the BSP PG, who remained in the plenary hall to pay respects to the victims of communism together with his right-wing colleagues. These two deeds are to his credit.

Team of "Standart"

Standartnews

He nourished our hopes, he was ready to oppose the 'Kostov' style of rule, but he didn't do it as it was. He began speaking about corruption but without mentioning any names.

There is one fact in Peter Stoyanov's C.V. which is not mentioned in his personal site in the Internet. Only few are aware that the incumbent head of state is one of the founders of the monarchic movement in this country. He is the author of the Statutes of the Constitutional Union which insisted on the convocation of the Grand National Assembly and the adoption of another constitution based on the principles of the Tarnovo constitution. Stoyanov bid goodbye to monarchists in 1992 when he was already a pronounced UDF supporter. Stoyanov's political career was a springboard for power. In 1992 he became deputy justice minister in the cabinet of Filip Dimitrov. The future president handed in his resignation after the UDF government was ousted and began working as a lawyer in Sofia. In 1995 Stoyanov was elected deputy-leader of the UDF and being a member of the NCC (National Coordinating Council) he was directly responsible for the home political issues. At the following national conference of the UDF he was nominated for president. The lawyer from Plovdiv was promoted as one of the fresh faces in the UDF. Stoyanov won the presidential elections by 60% in the runoff versus the BSP nominee - culturologist Prof. Ivan Marazov. The dreary winter that followed under Zhan Videnov's rule helped boost Stoyanov's rating. He took up the role of a mediator between the UDF opposition and the BSP government and brought to power the caretaker government of Stefan Sofiyanski. Stoyanov's mandate passed under the sign of several winged phrases. 'Tell them Ivan, they will understand you', which became a key phrase describing his relations with the Commander. The president would hold out the hope that he was ready to oppose the 'Kostov' style. He didn't do it, anyway. He was the first to speak out against corruption, yet he never mentioned any names. He didn't demonstrate whether he was a tacit antipode of the Commander or an accomplice of his. At the end of his career at N 2 'Dondoukov' Blvd., Stoyanov fell a victim of his own people. He entered the presidency in his capacity of a Kostov's man. During the first two years in office he turned into the Commander's enemy. Because his rating was higher than that of the premier. And he distanced himself from the faults of the UDF authorities. Then he again turned into a Kostov's man. Because he didn't find the courage to disclose the failures of the former UDF leader. Stoyanov had been used. By the Commander.

Team of 'Standart'

Standartnews

Minister of Defence and Minister of Foreign Affairs are leaving for Brussels today. Nikolay Svinarov and Solomon Passy will take part in the meeting of the EU ministers of defence and foreign affairs and the candidates for NATO membership. The EU military potential of the EU will be reviewed at the meeting. The contribution of the counties willing to join NATO, will be assessed too.

Evgenii Genchev

Standartnews

172 teenage girls have interrupted pregnancy since early 2001 in Rousse. Four of them are under 15. The data is reported by the Regional Health Centre. On the average, about 20 pupils a month make abortions. Doctors explain these figures with the fact that the girls start having sexual contacts at a very early age - 13 or 14. This is why there are girls who aborted once or twice before coming of age. For the first 9 months of this year the interrupted pregnancies total 1952. It means that the share of teenagers accounts for over 10 percent.

Tsvetelina Doncheva
(ML)

AP

By VESELIN TOSHKOV, Associated Press Writer

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - Bulgaria's newly elected Socialist president pledged to work for Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and NATO, while strengthening the role of the state.

Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov's victory in Sunday's runoff surprised even his supporters in the former communist party. A few months ago, the Socialist Party garnered just 17 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections. Now, three times as many voters picked the 44-year-old historian.

Official results from 24 of the country's 31 voting districts gave Parvanov 53.5 percent compared to 46.5 percent for incumbent President Petar Stoyanov. Turnout was 55 percent, the Central Election Commission said. Final results were expected Tuesday.

Stoyanov, 49, conceded defeat Monday and wished Parvanov luck in his term.

``May Bulgarians live better during these five years, and may Bulgaria find itself where it belongs: in the EU and NATO,'' said Stoyanov, who ran as an independent.

Parvanov pledged at a news conference to work ``for a stronger role of the state'' in alleviating economic burdens and to strengthen ties with the rest of Europe.

``I will work for Bulgaria's strategic choice - Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and NATO,'' he said.

Bulgaria hopes to join the EU in 2006 and is also seeking an invitation next year to join NATO.

``I think it is also extremely important to revive Bulgaria's relations with Russia, Ukraine and other strategic partners,'' Parvanov said.

The presidency is a largely ceremonial position, with real power resting with the prime minister and parliament, but the office carries considerable moral authority and legislative veto power.

Parvanov was backed by a party representing Bulgaria's 800,000 ethnic Turks, as well as by several Gypsy organizations and retirees' unions, whose interests he promised to support.

His victory reflected a growing demand for change among Bulgarians disillusioned by a dozen years of economic hardship following the fall of communism.

It also signaled discontent with the pace of reforms implemented by current Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski, the former king, whose party overwhelmingly won the June elections.

Parvanov rose to the helm of his party in 1996, when mass street protests against economic mismanagement and rampant crime forced it out of power.

Under his leadership, the Socialists set out to reform themselves along the lines of West European Social Democrats. They also joined the consensus in Bulgaria toward joining NATO.

Parvanov, however, opposed NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, which Stoyanov supported.

Standartnews

at the elections yesterday, after the official results were returned. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha called Parvanov in person and wished him success in his future work for the benefit of Bulgaria. Some of the ministers did the same.

Standartnews

on the win, the "Glas Javnosti" newspaper released yesterday. The Serb newspaper's comments on the elections are titled "It Was Penury That Elected The President". The Serb media, however, do not pay much attention as a whole to the elections in Bulgaria.

Reuters

BELGRADE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Defiant former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has rejected as manipulation a move by the U.N. war crimes court to name two attorneys he can meet in private, his Belgrade lawyer said on Monday.

"Milosevic's stand is that this is a new manipulation by the court. The court has never asked Milosevic if he wants these two people to be appointed as his advisers," Dragoslav Ognjanovic told a news conference.

Milosevic feels that appointing only two lawyers with whom he may have unmonitored meetings in effect restricts the number of people he can communicate freely with, Ognjanovic said.

Milosevic, who was spirited out of Belgrade in June to the court's detention unit in Scheveningen, has refused to appoint defense counsel because he does not recognise the court but has said he wants to meet lawyers in private to discuss his case.

The tribunal has named former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark and British lawyer John Livingston as advisers who will be allowed private meetings with Milosevic, indicted for crimes against humanity in Croatia in 1991-92 and in Kosovo in 1999.

"All other persons will not have this privilege. This is not what he wants," said Ognjanovic, who represents Milosevic in a case in a Belgrade court where he is charged with abuse of power. He talked with Milosevic by phone over the weekend.

Clark, a member of an international Milosevic support committee, has said Milosevic's rights were being violated because his meetings with lawyers in the detention centre were being monitored by U.N. staff.

Ognjanovic said by appointing Clark and Livingston the court gave the appearance of responding to Milosevic's requests while in effect preventing him from seeing lawyers of his choice.

In September, Milosevic protested when the court appointed three prominent international lawyers as "friends of the court" to assist in the trial chamber and ensure he has a fair trial. He said he was being defended against his will.

AP

By DANICA KIRKA
.c The Associated Press

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (AP) - A moderate ethnic Albanian party that triumphed in Kosovo's first free elections has claimed the right to govern beside the United Nations, vowing on Monday not to rest until the province wins independence.

Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic League of Kosovo won just over 46 percent of the vote, giving him the chance to lead the province that is recovering after war and a decade of oppression under former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

On Monday, the European Union welcomed the peaceful and orderly elections in Kosovo, but stressed that the U.N. resolution recognizing Yugoslav sovereignty over the province must be adhere to.

``Our position has not changed. We do not favor independence,'' said Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, who chaired a meeting of the 15 EU foreign ministers.

Though the win gave Rugova a clear mandate to govern, the margin was not large enough for him to rule alone, according to results released by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The partial results were based on 92 percent of the votes counted.

Rugova's party edged out former rebel leader Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo, which finished with just over 25 percent of the vote - far more than anticipated by Rugova's followers, who had claimed Rugova would crush his opponents.

A coalition of parties representing Kosovo's minority Serbs finished third with just under 11 percent and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, an ethnic Albanian party, followed with 7.8 percent.

The results surprised Rugova, who had gathered senior party lieutenants in his elegant Pristina drawing room to watch the OSCE news conference on television. There were murmurs of confusion and surprise about how their own polls - which indicated a 60 percent Rugova victory - could be so wrong.

Even so, Rugova rallied quickly, telling The Associated Press he believed that when the final results were in, he would be given a solid majority, freeing him to work toward his goal of Kosovo independence.

``With votes being shared by many other parties, it will be difficult to create effective institutions,'' he said. ``But we will do the utmost to have effective institutions ... to advance the process, to advance the independence of Kosovo - which is an immediate demand.''

Other leaders pledged to keep their eye on the prize. Thaci, in conceding defeat, promised to govern together with Rugova and all other parties, including those of other ethnic groups.

``The time has come to put the interests of Kosovo before the interests of the political parties,'' he said.

Voters elected legislators to serve in a 120-seat assembly that in turn will choose a president and form a provincial administration.

The administrators will govern alongside U.N. officials and NATO-led peacekeepers who took control of the province after 78 days of NATO airstrikes. The alliance launched the air war to force Milosevic to end his crackdown on ethnic Albanian militants.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated the people of Kosovo ``on the commitment to democratic norms'' during the election, saying its all-inclusive nature ``will provide a solid basis for the institutions of provisional self-government that will now be established.''

Ethnic Albanians mobbed polling stations Saturday to vote in what many saw as a giant leap toward independence - a concept that frightened some minority Serbs into staying home. Many Serbs feared the election would further dilute the influence of the central government in Belgrade and push Kosovo further away from Yugoslavia.

NATO's top commander in Kosovo, Lt. Gen. Marcel Valentin of France, promised to support the new leaders as they become the third center of power in Kosovo, joining the alliance and the United Nations.

``Together,'' he said, ``we must try to improve the situation of all the communities.''