On 30 January 2015, at the age of 79, Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev, the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria suddenly passed away.
He is a philosopher and dissident, a public figure and a statesman. Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev is the main initiator and co-founder of the Club for glasnost and reorganization and is among the founders of the Union of Democratic Forces (December 1989). He was head of the parliamentary group of the Union of Democratic Forces in the Grand National Assembly (June 1990). On 1 August 1990 he was elected President of the Republic of Bulgaria by the Grand National Assembly and on 19 January, under the new constitution of the country, he was elected Head of State directly by the people.
Since 1993 he was patron of the Liberal International and since 1997 he was honorary chairman of the Liberal-democratic alternative party. He is president of the “Zhelyu Zhelev” foundation, founder and president of the Balkan Political Club.
He is bearer of the Stara Planina, I degree order as well of a lot of academic and state awards.
We bow our heads today to his memory!