STUDENTS carrying flaming torches marched through early evening fog in Sofia yesterday to back opposition demands for a general election.
Talks between rival political factions showed no sign of compromise but cracks began to appear in the ruling Socialists' parliamentary majority. One Socialist deputy, Mr Alexander Marinov, said he was leaving the party and the Bulgarian Business Bloc said it would not take part in a vote for a new Socialist cabinet. Two other reformist Socialist deputies have supported the opposition's view that early elections are the only way out of the crisis.
Despite 18 days of opposition street protests, the Socialists are insisting on forming a new government to replace that of Mr Zhan Videnov, who resigned on December 21st.
About 2,000 students joined yesterday's march and thousands more demonstrators rallied outside the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky cathedral.
"It is clear that no dialogue is possible and we see no reason for, further talks," the opposition leader, Mr Ivan Kostov, told the rally. "Victory will be ours."
Leaders of the two parliamentary groups met at the presidency for more than two hours. "Unfortunately, there is a complete difference between the positions and assessments of the (opposition) United Democratic Forces and the (ruling) Democratic Left," Mr Kostov said.
But the Socialist Party leader, Mr Georgi Parvanov, said they had agreed on the need for economic reforms and for measures to ease social tensions.
Political sources said President Petar Stoyanov would try to bring rival factions together again tomorrow.
The constitution requires President Stoyanov, who took office last Wednesday, to ask the Socialists, as the biggest party in parliament, to form a government, but the opposition has threatened mass protests and a general strike if he does so.