site.btaAgrarians Gather at Yanini Gramadi to Mark Centenary of Party Founder Stamboliiski Tragic Death

Hundreds of Agrarian Party members from across Bulgaria gathered Sunday at the Yanini Gramadi locality near the southern village of Slavovitsa to pay tribute to Alexander Stamboliiski on the occasion of the centenary of the politician's murder there.  

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Kiril Vatev, Continue the Change Co-Chair Kiril Petkov, municipal mayors and leaders of agrarian formations were official guests at the event.

"Today we are again in Slavovitsa to bow before the memory of the statesman and reformer Alexander Stamboliiski. One hundred years have passed since the day when the agricultural ideologue paid with his life for his faith in freedom and people's power," United Agrarians Chair Petya Slavova said in her speech addressed to the gathering. Stamboliiski was the first politician who advocated the creation of the United States of Europe, she recalled. "At a time of constant challenges, crises and conflicts, we as a society and as a state are called to defend our strategic choices and European values, which are a symbol of peace and democracy. It is time to unite our efforts for the sake of tomorrow and a successful European Bulgaria, which has chosen the path of freedom and democracy," Stavreva added.

Bulgarian history repeats itself in that many heroes, who put the Fatherland before themselves, end up with a tragic death. A years later, however, their name makes Bulgarians come together and honour not only their memory, but also their ideology for a better Bulgaria. The more united we are, the greater the chance Bulgaria will make the steps forward that Alexander Stamboliiski fought for, Petkov said in his speech. He stressed that part of the Bulgarian interest is that Bulgarian agriculture becomes a national priority and Bulgaria stops being a net importer of food.

Bulgaria has huge potential, which has not been realized, Vatev said. He stressed that "in the future, not individual sectors, but rather agri-food product lines will be developed so that there is support where it is needed". He identified another priority as orienting all agriculture towards the market rather than subsidies. These are necessary, but all over the world they are only a support, not a goal. "We must fight for national food security from our own production," Vatev said.

The participants in the commemoration laid wreaths and flowers at the tomb of Alexander Stamboliiski, which is located in Yani Gramadi.

Alexander Stamboliiski was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923. He was a member of the Agrarian Union, an agrarian peasant movement which was not allied to the monarchy. Though popular with the peasants, he antagonized the middle class and military. He was ousted in a military coup in June 1923. He attempted to raise a rebellion against the new government, but was captured by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), who detested him for renouncing Bulgarian claims on the territory of Macedonia, was brutally tortured, and killed near birthplace, Slavovitsa.