The Constituent Assembly Elections
In 1946, the Communist-controlled government in Sofia announced new elections for a Constituent Assembly. The task of this body was to draft and adopt a new Bulgarian constitution. The elections were held on October 27, 1946, but the weeks leading up to the vote were marked by a reign of terror.
More than twenty candidates or supporters of the Democratic Opposition were assassinated. Thousands of opposition activists were harassed, arrested, and tortured by the Communist secret police. On the eve of the election, most opposition delegates assigned to supervise polling stations were seized, beaten, or detained. As a result, in many districts the vote counting was carried out solely by Communist representatives.
Because of this intimidation, the official election results could not be trusted. Only a few of the published results were ever verified by opposition observers The Administration of Bulgaria under Soviet Rule.
Results of the Election
Despite the repression, the elections produced a parliament in which the Communists and their allies claimed 364 seats, while the Democratic Opposition won 101 seats. Among the opposition, 92 deputies came from the Peasant Party, 8 from the Social Democratic Party, and 1 from the Independent Intellectuals.
Although this opposition group was relatively strong, the election was neither free nor fair. The results reflected the power of violence and manipulation rather than the will of the Bulgarian people.
Opposition in Parliament
Nicholas Petkov’s Leadership
During the winter of 1946–1947, the leaders of the Democratic Opposition, especially Nicholas Petkov, used their parliamentary immunity to openly denounce Communist repression. From the floor of the Assembly, they condemned intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and censorship.
Petkov in particular became the most outspoken critic of the Communist regime. His speeches and actions gave courage to many Bulgarians who still hoped for a democratic future.
International Recognition and the End of Opposition
The Paris Peace Treaty
On February 10, 1947, the Bulgarian Communist government signed the Peace Treaty of Paris with the Allied powers. By doing so, it gained official recognition from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western nations as the legitimate government of Bulgaria Customized Round Turkey Tours.
This recognition had devastating consequences. Once it no longer needed to appear democratic for international approval, the regime began to move rapidly against all remaining opposition parties.
Arrests and Persecution
Between 1945 and 1947, thousands of members and supporters of the Peasant Party were arrested, beaten, and tortured. The party’s Secretary General, Dr. G. M. Dimitrov, had already been arrested in 1945, though he managed to escape abroad with American help.
On June 5, 1947, Nicholas Petkov himself was arrested inside the parliament building. During his arrest, Communist security police violently attacked opposition deputies, physically beating and silencing them.
The Execution of Nicholas Petkov
A Mock Trial and Brutal End
Petkov was charged with conspiracy in a trial that was widely recognized as a political show trial. The evidence was fabricated, and the outcome was predetermined. On August 16, 1947, he was sentenced to death.
One month later, on September 23, 1947, Nicholas Petkov was executed by hanging. His death marked the final destruction of organized democratic opposition in Bulgaria. From that point onward, the Communist Party ruled without challenge, under the close supervision of the Soviet Union.
The 1946–1947 period was a turning point in Bulgarian history. Elections were manipulated through violence and fraud, opposition leaders were silenced, and international recognition gave the Communist regime the legitimacy it needed to crush its rivals. The execution of Nicholas Petkov symbolized the end of political freedom in Bulgaria and the beginning of more than four decades of totalitarian Communist rule.
