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Rosen Plevneliev: After 2014 all archives of the pre-1989 totalitarian state should be declassified and made public

After 2014 all archives of the pre-1989 totalitarian state should be open and public and kept at the Public Record Office, President Rosen Plevneliev said after a meeting with the defense minister, the chiefs of the Military Information and National Intelligence Services and the head of the Dossier [Secret Files] Commission. The head of state will propose to the next parliament that it “finds the strength and courage” yet again to make the final legal amendments, if necessary.  “25 years have passed, we should drop the topic of the communist-era State Security,” Rosen Plevneliev appealed.

At the meeting the head of state and the chiefs of the services and the Dossier Commission debated the latest amendments to the Law on the access to and declassification of the documents and announcement of the contribution of Bulgarian citizens to State Security and the intelligence service of the Bulgarian Army.

The Assembly Deputies showed their will to have the archives opened and ensure that no one should enjoy a privileged position by virtue of the law, President Rosen Plevneliev recalled.  He was adamant that the uncovering and announcing of people’s contribution to the State Security services should be done by observing all legal provisions and taking into account the issues of high public interest. “The citizens have the right to access information on whether those who have ruled them, or want to rule them, have been affiliated to the services of the totalitarian state,” the President emphasized. He said that so far the Dossier Commission has found it difficult to conduct the checks related to the Military Information service and the National Intelligence Service, since the lists featuring the full-time staff are missing.  The archives of the two services have not been submitted in their final form either. “Such a dual approach should be ended and the archives of the two services should be submitted to the Dossier Commission as soon as possible.  The Commission should be able to state in an unambiguous and categorical manner who was or was not affiliated to State Security, but not announce contradictory opinions, based on archives that have not been submitted yet,” the head of state said.

Rosen Plevneliev commented that different political parties throughout the transition years have made various attempts to hide part of the truth about the totalitarian state secret services. “We should at least close this page in a worthy manner, as we have caused enough harm so far by its partial interpretation,” the president said, expressing support for the institutions in their efforts “to issue clear and unambiguous documents, not to change their positions, and avoid situations which would undermine public trust.”

As for the information made public concerning the Interior Ministry’s alleged illegal use of special surveillance means, the head of state expressed firm support for the work done by the Prosecutor’s Office.  In telephone conversations with Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General, the President encouraged him to take “prompt and adequate action and uncover the whole truth within reasonable time limits and without any protraction.”   “It is absolutely inadmissible that in a democratic state of the rule of law doubts should be raised that politicians and citizens, including the head of state, can be wiretapped. I therefore believe that the actions taken by the Prosecutor’s Office are correct and I will do my best to help them do the work well,” President Rosen Plevneliev said.

At the same time the head of state voiced concerns over the Prosecutor’s Office information with regard to the conditions that the Interior Ministry had created for the illegal use of special surveillance means. I hope the caretaker Interior Minister will take urgent measures by formulating effective interdepartmental and inner-departmental rules governing the use of special surveillance means. Apparently throughout the years an orderly system has not been set up nor has control been strict enough, therefore the Interior Ministry should promptly change its rules,” the President added.  Rosen Plevneliev further said that he would address the next National Assembly and request that it drafts legal proposals to eliminate the conditions that allow for illegal wiretapping, saying that there are different possible approaches to this effect, depending on “the will and professionalism of the deputies in the next Assembly”.

President Plevneliev was adamant that the actions performed by the Prosecutor’s Office prove that it works independently. The caretaker Interior Minister should take “prompt measures, even if they involve dismissing the chief of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime while the investigation is under way. I expect that the Interior Minister will take a firm stand,” the head of state added.