Anti-Communists Win In Bulgarian Elections

A fervently anti-communist alliance triumphed in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections Saturday, crushing the ex-communists blamed for the Balkan nation’s economic misery.

Bulgarians staged a month of peaceful protests this winter to force the early elections and oust the former communists less than 2-1/2 years after they regained power in the former Soviet ally.

“It is important now that we convince the world that a relapse into the past is out of the question,” said Ivan Kostov, leader of the victorious United Democratic Forces.

Kostov’s alliance won 56 percent of the votes, according to an exit poll by Gallup International. The former communists’ renamed Socialist Party won 19 percent, with smaller parties taking the rest, Gallup said.