Parliament approves first step towards checking media bosses for ties to communist-era State Security
Bulgaria’s Parliament has approved the first reading of amendments that will open the way for the Dossier Commission to check managers of media for links to the country’s communist-era State Security and military intelligence.
Also to be subject to checks will be former members of the management and supervisory boards of state and municipal enterprises and privatisation funds.
The changes were tabled by three MPs for Bulgaria’s ruling party GERB, which came to power in mid-2009.
The Dossier Commission was voted into law in 2006 and has disclosed the identities of various categories of people who were agents and collaborators with State Security in state and government bodies, Bulgaria’s diplomatic corps, business associations, trade unions, educational institutions, polling agencies, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and other religious organisations.
The Commission is also to announce which of Bulgaria’s credit millionaires, who swiftly accumulated vast wealth illicitly after the beginning of the country’s transition to democracy, were linked to State Security.
Parts of Bulgaria’s media have been subject to checks before, resulting in disclosures of State Security agents and collaborators at public broadcasters Bulgarian National Television and Bulgarian National Radio.
(Photo: Christa Richert/sxc hu)
