24.10.03, 168 casa
Kire – The liberal guy prophesies zero unemployment in front of the Great Krakra
Flakes, socialist comrades, democratic comrades in a knock-down for Pernik
Nadia Cholakova
Pernik town, the former worker’s Klondike is among the champions in Bulgaria when it comes to criminality. At the railway station in Izgrev quarter, near by mining museum and around the “Struma” mill pure and cheap heroin can be found. Most of the narco dealers are coming from Sofia. The drug addicts are teenagers. Their parents had built the fame of the industrial center - Pernik town. After the close down of the mines over 10000 people are filling like they are “refuses” from the closed mines, powerful mills and enterprises. They are traveling to Sofia with buses and are seeking for a job. The prosperous ones are very few, as well as the restaurants. The kiosk selling light meals are at every turn. It is the same with the dogs muzzling the pre-election placards of the mayor nominees. In defiance of whole picture the square and the Pernik’s National Palace of Culture are full of smiling faces and motley roundabouts. This is in honor of the town’s fair, fading away in the last October days. The most attractive things are the presence of Peru musicians and fair shooting-grounds. On the shelf are titivating shampoos for several coins, socks, insoles, plastic macs and Turkish delights. “Made in Bulgaria – from …. to! We are not selling foreign goods! Pernik is the most beautiful town in the world!”, ejaculates a machine engineer who has left without a job seven years ago and recently without teeth. We are proud
inheritors of the Great Krakra
from Pernik. We do remember our stock and language”
In this holiday in front of the Krakra monument is standing the experienced election maker Kire - The liberal guy. Close by is located the Technical school with the unforgettable nick – “The dish”. The mayor nominee is preparing for a pre-election meeting with school-girls. “They are sticking on me as flies on a honey. Sex is the best gymnastics. I’m gifted and if they put me in a coffin they could not close the cover. I like most Slavei chalet, because there the lodging is 2 lv.”, presents himself in from of the “168 hours” weekly the mayor nominee Kiril Borisov Borisov – known as Kire – The liberal guy. For a long time he is skilful in 14 professions, but the erotic novel “Addressing the women familiarly” had made his shares to go up unrecognizably. “I am down the path of writing a new book “Pre-election competition - 2003”, Kire tells and spreads his hands. – It is such a cacophony in Pernik that is not known who orders the meal and who pays the bill. There are terrible fights among the mayor nominees! The representatives of Bulgarian Socialist Party, Union of Democratic Forces and Simeon II National Movement are lying round the quarters that I am outcasted and illegal participant. But I do have a #20 voting paper. An ex sweetheart of mine is spreading rumors that I have two artificial legs and summons the people not to vote for me!’, the mayor nominee has complained and starts to sing an authors ballade.
“From the outfall of Timok river
to Rezovska river
From Kliuch village to Durankulak
There is only one liberal party and
I am its representative!.”
Kire – The liberal guy is entering the public register of “24 hours” daily and “168 hours” weekly as declares his property: one Siamese cat, one granddaughter Beatris, one son from his marriage with a Russin woman and a small bag – his “pre-election headquarters”. The nominee is drafting his program – “I am a public person and all the businessmen from Cuba to Bangladesh will give their support for me. Today Pernik looks like Baghdad after the American invasion. Pealed off blocks, an ugly railway station, people in panic, speaking to themselves. When I start to govern this town it will flourish. For two years period – the level of the unemployment will be zero. Only two persons can tell if I will win – God and the people”, flirtatiously breaking shoulders Kire – The liberal guy .
If it happens to loose, the mayor nominee will beg for money the next mayor. He is unemployed and it is getting harder for him to save 2 lv. to pass by to Slavei chalet…
“If Kire– The liberal guy is happy in his fight, Bulgarian Socialist Party and Union of Democratic Forces will be destroyed and will become stuck in a hostile configuration “Eagle, crab and a pike”.
Everyone spitted upon the mayor nominees more or less, but they are remaining to stand proudly with their heads up. Awkward silence is spreading at the headquarters of Andrey Andreev - the present mayor of Pernik town. He is kind of former Bulgarian Socialist Party make in the town, who ruled the town for two mandates. Now he is obliterated by a century old party and supported by New left wing coalition – patriotic union for Pernik. Andreev seceded from the local Socialist Party structure together with 68 more municipal organizations because of a personal conflict with Dimitar Doichinov leader of the socialists in Pernik, at the moment deputy from the left wing coalition.
In the town fair’s height a colorful article was discharged from a local newspaper. Andreev is described as a hero from a Gogol’s novel in it:
“The biggest Pernik’s plate is heavy in its grandfather chair…” That is him – the mayor, the engineer Andrey Amdreev, called by his fellow townsman “The plate”. This is because Rayna – his wife. She runs a production company for street plates, with expiry date 10 months not more. So the question is: How long these street plates endure the minors’ boots, who is replacing the street plates in whole Pernik and who collects the money made out of this deal? The Plates’ family knows the answer to the letter… And if the weather remains benevolent a sun will shine over the saber of God Krakra from Pernik town. This saber deserves to be shone from the sun, because it never had cut piece by piece the flesh of the town. Piece by piece, plate by plate, the mayor was cutting …. For whole eight years of its management.
The main discontent towards Andreev: he appointed the company of his wife to replace the street plates of Pernik squares. The next accusation: together with the municipal council he has rent the market-place to soccer club “Minior”, the taxes are augmented drastically and the team does not gain the profit.
The defeat of the favorite “Minior”, who from Levski enemy falls into B group, is putting another finger on the sore place. That’s the reason why team fans are wearing T-shirts with an inscription saying:
“One team - “Minior”!
One enemy: Andreev!!!”
“All the attacks against me are aria of a calumny!”, Andrey Andreev protests. – Manipulative rumor, spread by the authoritarian party members and dogmatic old men in Bulgarian Socialist Party. They are digging following the principle of the propaganda model, created by Giobel.” He denies the affair with the plates. He denies also the gossips saying that he had obtained properties in Portugal and France. He declares to own an old style village house, made from mood and branches, 80 sq. m. apartment and an Opel from the middle of 80-ies. His savings amount up to 5 thousands lv. Many people in town are saying firmly that Andreev is not Ostap Bender. ”It is difficult to say what I have done, so far. The important thing is what resources you have on your disposal; otherwise you are just a dreamer. There is a germ of a progress. The town is beautiful and we have to peal it as an egg to become more beautiful” – expressively saying Andreev.
The people in town are describing him as very natural, diligent and straightforward engineer. They are approving the fact that he has an experience as a manager in machine building pearls of Pernik and Radomir. They raise their hats to him, because he had done so much for the blossom of the mummer tradition in Pernik, and advertise the city worldwide as a carnival town. For 18 years he is a member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and is faithful to the idea. This carries a lot of weight in the town of the black gold - the ore. None the less that he is a secede from the local party organization, Andrey Andreev is continuing to recognize himself as he is Bulgarian Socialist Party and as Bulgarian Socialist Party is in him…
“There is one Bulgarian Socialist Party in Pernik and only one mayor nominee from its site– that’s me!”, propagandizes the favorite of left wing party in Pernik Simeon Vassilev and starts to speak in verses: “It’s enough to go back! It’s enough to go down! Together with Bulgarian Socialist party bravely, strongly and convincing!
Campaign over the ground! Campaign under the ground!
Full of matter. Serious. Attractive”
Bulgarian Socialist Party’s mayor nominee Simeon Vassilev is a heavily built man with violet look, with the same shine in his eyes as Edvin Sugarev’s one. His competitors call him “the pawn of the red orthodox with fabulous catchwords borrowed from Arabian Nights” and also “Dinosaur from the red Jurassic Park”. In spite of this he is full of energy and perseveringly propagandizes his cause. Strictly has written in his note book over 300 meeting with votes. His campaign looks like a serial film full of attractions, and the protagonist is Simeon Vassilev. He has sent an open letter to Arnold Schwarzenegger the newly elected California governor. The Bulgarian Socialist Party titular congratulates the rock-man. He presents himself as a future red mayor and a herald of the Bulgarian values. Simeon Vassilev is climbing the Black peak at Vitosha Mountain. He nails there the flags of Bulgaria and Pernik.
Schwarzenegger’s fan is taking the field to Duhlata
the longest and most dangerous cave in Bulgaria. He is almost jumping into the black hole. Then he is screaming out of there that there is no space for fat and corrupted people in it. The mayor nominee is slipping into the mine, as well. He is shaking hands with the labor class. He is calling upon his competitor to participate in a swimming contest in Rudartzi village pool. They did not show up. Simeon Vassilev does not loose a presence of mind. Together with his wife and kids, he is jumping into the pool. They are playing as a team and demonstrate the harmony between them. Whenever he has a possibility to cite his favorite Dan Tsiao Pin, follower of the great Mao, he does so. He makes parallels between the Chinese communist revolution and pre-electoral Pernik very often. He is a surgeon and a father of three children. He lives in Pernik for quite recently and up to now he refuses to declare his property. He is making scientific investigation of the socialist idea from its embryo to the present days. His pre-electoral headquarters looks like a store room for posters and white dust, which appears to be …. a glue.
“Forward together with Bulgarian Socialist Party!”, appeals the socialist mayor nominee. “It is necessary a new face with a new management”, he is loudly stating. “What we have up to now is passive and irresponsible. I will cite my favorite Dan Tsiao Pin – “Men, that do not observe the by-lows of the party, can not be allowed to enter into the power, because tomorrow they will break the lows of the country” – end of the quotation!”, ends the surgeon Vassilev only a moment before to invoke: “Forwards the victory with Bulgarian Socialist Party!”
At parting, the mayor nominee stresses, that he appears in all newspapers with one and the same specifically chosen picture - the one from his pre-election placard and no other.
Overdone dish Presolki - Georgieva
In the pre-election battle in Pernik the Union of Democratic Forces in Pernik goes through is drama. Right before the contest an internal elections have been organized between the mayor candidates – Radenko Presolski and Antoaneta Georgieva. The winner is the lady and she is elected to be a face of Union of Democratic Forces. Antoaneta Georgieva is an ex teacher, a chairman of the municipal Union of Democratic Forces, for a long time an administrator, a machine engineer and a pretty woman. She can speak for hours about aggressive marketing approach combined with advertising strategy” and about “contractor’s desk, leaping across the corruption and bureaucratic practices”. To some extend, she is worry that women’s cloths could be a hindrance for her carrier: “They say that the mayor’s work is a man’s work. But the grumble is never satisfied, as we say. The intention to enter into the power is not based on the sex, but on the life experience and management skills possessed by the candidate”, Georgieva prepares for the pre-election fight.
Radenko Presolski, her competitor is doing the same in the lobby of Struma hotel. Radenkov is a former sun of a deputy. He is trying to overcome his lost from Georgieva. He calls her victory a manipulation and continues to recognize himself as a member of Union of Democratic Forces. His enemies stain him the name of “a scale”. But Presolski appears to the scene, supported by initiative committee “Revival for Pernik” set up by “Democratic party” and the Union of the people suffered repression. The attraction in Presolski’s list is the only one blue mayor in the Pernik’s history. “I am against the political parachutism and the uninterested position of the ruling circles in our beautiful Pernik town!”, alarms the blue veteran Presolski. His son Nikolai is famous with his prosperous business. Nikolai, certain Ivan - The Beast and Rossen – The Steel, put on trial for murder, have sold the cobalt from the yard of the legendary industry giant – Stomana Pernik mill. “My son is not a murder, neither a thief, nor a swindler. Everything is legal!”, Presolski nearly jumped out of his skin and ending with the spell: I consider myself as the few normal people among all 26 mayors’ nominee in Pernik. If it happens, to be liquidated it will be a political errand came from a very high government level.”
It is October 20 in the afternoon. The headquarters of the yellow mayor nominee Ivan Ivanov is in fever because of the forthcoming dispute on a local cable TV. “The Trump” of the Pernik nominee of the ruling political movement in Bulgaria has switched off his mobile and has hidden himself from the whole world. He mediates and makes rehearsals.