THE ruling Socialist Party in Bulgaria yesterday accepted the principle of early parliamentary elections as demanded by the opposition, the executive committee of the former communist party announced.
"The party accepts the principle of early elections in the context of a national anti crisis programme," the party said in a statement read out on two television channels.
The party also said it was ready to negotiate with the opposition, on "the character and composition" of a new government as long as it was led by the Socialists.
Some 30,000 Bulgarians marched through the centre of Sofia for a fourth straight day of rallies aimed at forcing the unpopular ex communist government to call snap elections. The protests started 10 days ago, but have built up over the past four days.
Although the government resigned last month, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - the largest in parliament - had refused to grant early elections. A poll is not scheduled until December 1998.
Mr Georgy Parvanov, chairman of the Socialist party which won the last elections in 1994, agreed on Sunday to open talks on early, elections, but only on condition that the opposition "stop the confrontations" and allow the BSP to form a new government with a programme for at least a year.
But the opposition wants the ruling Socialists to call elections immediately. The Socialists have, an absolute majority in the current parliament, elected in 1994.
Under the constitution, they are due to form the next government, unless there is an election.
The Socialists said earlier this month that they wanted the current Interior Minister, Mr Nikolai Dobrev, to take over as prime minister from Mr Jean Videnov, who resigned at the end of December. But after Friday's clashes outside the parliament, in which up to 258 people were injured according to the protesters, the opposition said they would riot accept Mr Dobrev as prime minister.
The opposition, encouraged by mass daily demonstrations in neighbouring Serbia against another unpopular regime, blames the Socialist Party for the growing poverty and rising inflation which have made their country one of the paupers of eastern Europe.
Shouting pobeda (victory) and, "never again the communists", demonstrators filed in front of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, next to the scene of the violent clashes.
Earlier yesterday, student pro testers marched past the embassies of the US, Italy and Austria and sent in petitions demanding the support of the US, NATO and the European Union. They also called on the West to withhold financial support for the country.
The opposition drew support from a group of Bulgarian intellectuals, who called on the international community to support their bid to oust the former communists.
The protests were not confined to Sofia. Anti government demonstrations were also held yesterday in about a dozen provincial towns.
The opposition has further called for a general strike which could begin tomorrow.