(15 Jul 2001)
QUALITY AS INCOMING
1. Bulgarian President entering room in presidential palace and meets Simeon the Second
2. UPSOUND: (Bulgarian) Peter Stoynov, President of Bulgaria
"Dear Mister Saxkoburgotsky, with this charter I give you the mandate as a candidate for Prime Minister representing the biggest parliamentarian group in the Bulgarian national assembly, to form the government. I wish you all success."
3. Simeon and Stoynov shaking hands showing charter to media
4. Simeon is handed a rose
5. Various shots of Simeon and Stoynov seated around table
6. Simeon and colleagues approaching microphones to make announcement to the media
7. SOUNDBITE: (Bulgarian) Plamen Panayotov, Chairman of National Movement
"Dear ladies and gentlemen, Just now the President of the Republic of Bulgaria gave the mandate for making the government to the nominated candidate for Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, the leader of the National Movement King Simeon II, Mister Simeon Saxkoburgotsky"
8. Wide view exterior of palace - tilts down to show Simeon leaving, surrounded by journalists
9. UPSOUND: (English) Simeon Saxkoburgotsky, Bulgarian Prime Minister elect
** audio overlayed with pictures **
Question: "What is the most important thing the world should know now?"
Answer: "The most important thing is to fulfill this mandate."
10. Close-up of Simeon surrounded by crowd
11. Simeon's car leaving, driving past camera
STORYLINE:
Bulgaria's former King, Simeon the Second, has been asked to form the country's next government.
The ex-ruler's political movement swept to victory in general elections last month.
In a brief ceremony on Sunday Bulgaria's President Petar Stoyanov asked Simeon Saxkoburgotsky to form the next cabinet.
Simeon's National Movement party announced last week that it was putting forward the former monarch as the next prime minister.
Plamen Panayotov, a senior party official of Simeon's National Movement, said the new prime minister would present a list of his proposed cabinet members by next Sunday.
Parliament is scheduled to vote on the new cabinet on July 24.
Simeon, who is 64, declined to comment on who'll be included.
His National Movement party holds a hundred and-20 of the two hundred and-40 seats in the legislative chamber.
This is just one seat short of simple majority.
So Simeon is having to conduct coalition talks with the outgoing Prime Minister Ivan Kostov's party and the predominantly ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
Simeon has repeatedly pledged to work for the broadest possible coalition of all those parties that share his main priorities.
These are: speeding economic growth and lifting living standards, accession to the European Union and NATO, and fighting corruption and cronyism.
Simeon was crowned king of Bulgaria at the age of six in 1943 after the sudden death of his father, King Boris.
He lost his throne in a 1946 referendum widely believed to have been rigged by the communists, who ruled for more than 50 years.
Simeon first returned to Bulgaria in 1996, then came back permanently just three months ago to form his party.
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