Bulgarian Cabinet Gives Up Military Intelligence Head Nomination

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (L) and Minister of Defense Anyu Angelov (R). Photos by BGNES.

The Bulgarian cabinet finally succumbed to the will of President, Georgi Parvanov, and withdrew Commodore Valentin Gagashev 's nomination for Head of the country's military intelligence.

On August 17, Parvanov, who is also Commander in Chief, blocked Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov's candidate Gagashev, after blocking earlier another choice of the Minister – Dincho Karamunchev, thus leaving the intelligence services without a head for months.

At the time, the President based his move on claims the procedure for preliminary agreement on the nomination has not been properly followed, stirring a heated, though indirect argument with Angelov.

Gagashev was approved by the cabinet for the post, but on Wednesday the Council of Ministers proposed his appointment as a Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command and bestowed him with the military "Rear Admiral" title.

No new nomination has been put on the table as of now.

Since September 1, military intelligence is headed by Gen. Detelin Mazhgurov, who is in charge temporarily.

The whole issue arose after Gen. Plamen Studenkov retired from the post in July.

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