Zhelyu Zhelev, communist-era dissident who became president of Bulgaria, dies
By Associated Press February 2 at 3:12 PM
Zhelyu Zhelev, a philosopher and communist-era dissident who became Bulgarias first democratically elected president, died Jan. 30 in the capital of Sofia. He was 79.
The family announced the death but did not cite the cause.
A dissident under communism, Mr. Zhelev was the founder and first leader of the pro-democracy Union of Democratic Forces after the demise of the countrys Stalinist regime in 1989.
As in other East European countries abandoning Stalinism, Bulgarians chose for the presidency an intellectual untainted by a communist past.
In 1990, the parliament chose Mr. Zhelev to become president. He then won in a nationwide presidential vote in 1992 and served until 1997.
His successor, Petar Stoyanov, praised Mr. Zhelevs contribution to bringing back Bulgaria to the family of free and democratic European nations.
The slightly built Mr. Zhelev was a man of letters rather than politics, though in his academic work he clashed with the communist authorities. Despite the lack of charisma and political experience at the outset, Mr. Zhelev became a respected leader and swiftly gained popularity among Bulgarians.
Before 1989, Mr. Zhelev was known only to some intellectuals who managed to get a copy of his book Fascism, published in 1981.
A searching analysis of totalitarianism, the book was soon banned and removed from bookstores as the authorities found that the critique of the fascist dictatorship was equally applicable to the communist system of government. It became a bestseller only with its republication after the collapse of communism.
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Zhelyu Zhelev, communist-era dissident who became president of Bulgaria, dies