MINELRES: Bulgaria: New Roma political party

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Vladimir Chukov <vlachu@nat.bg>


On August 26, 2003 the Party of Democratic Congress (PDC), new Bulgarian
Roma party is to be established. The organizers represent Roma minority
settled in Northeast Bulgaria (Targovishte, Razgrad, Chumen, Omurtag,
Popovo, etc�). Thus, the forum is to be held in the town of Isperih. The
extending poll of Sunai Kemalov Hassanov among the group concerned hints
his possible election as PDC leader. As a whole, the meeting is to be
considered as organizational step towards the coming municipal elections
(October 26, 2003). It is expected that the leadership endeavors wining
over whole Roma community, unlike 1998-elections when Roma elected
mayors and hundred of municipal councilors have been divided between few
political parties.

The 31-years old Sunai Hassanov stated that PDC has to throw over all
potential Roma grass-roots including collaboration with already existing
political parties, civil society organizations and NGOs dealing with
Roma problems. He is convinced that the only way for improving this
minority rights and freedoms is its representatives to be involved in
all levels of the political governing. The latest census published on
October 28, 2002 reveals that Roma community in Bulgaria is divided into
two parts: the first, about 470 000 declared themselves as such and the
second, about 460 000 logged out as Bulgarians, Turks and Romanians. It
seems that PDC became aware of the multiplex in-group heterogeneity
(religious, regional. vocational, etc�), which has to be overcame
through the assistance of the appropriate political and third sector
agents already set up and mushroomed throughout the country. The
exceedingly grim situation and the permanent social outcasts' status
would trigger and facilitate surmounting Romas� infighting that hinders
the process of political socialization.

Mr. Hassanov, graduated from Law faculty of Varna Free University has
been enrolled in several NGOs dealing with minority issues. In
accumulating practical and theoretical experience he plans that PDC
actively cooperates with Center for Regional and Confessional Studies
(CRCS) has been involved as expert since its establishment. Using PDC
regional sections CRCS will gather and provide some data related with
the community development. Statistical information and polls would shed
a light on the Roma community moods in reference to nation-wide problems
such as NATO and EU aspirations, domestic politics, social topics,
demographic characteristics, etc�

Associate Professor Vladimir Chukov, PhD
Director of Center for Regional and Confessional Studies
http://crcs0.tripod.com
Bulgaria, Sofia, 1113
P.O. Box 86
Tel: + 359 2 729 165
Fax: + 359 2 741 301
E-mail: vlachu@nat.bg