Sofia Morning News (published by Sofia News Agency, novinite.com)

HOT PHOTO

French Ambassador to Bulgaria Pleased with Judicial Reform
The French Ambassador to Sofia, Etienne de Poncins, visited the French Language High School in Veliko Tarnovo, where he met students and teachers and donated books. Photo by BNGES

FINANCE MINISTER: BULGARIA WON'T BE ANOTHER GREECE

Bulgaria’s Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has vowed to stick to the country’s restrictive budget in order to avoid financial instability.

“Our 2010 budget is such that we will execute it as we have planned. We are not going to get into such economic and social trouble as in Greece and many other states around us,” Djankov told the Parliament Thursday.

The Finance Minister was summoned in order to answer questions about the freezing of the salaries in the public sector, the anti-crisis measures of the government, and the 2% hike of the health insurance payments that the cabinet came up with recently.

He was explicit that the government was sticking to its commitment to balance the budget as much as possible, which meant that it had to cover new expenditures by raising the corresponding amount.

“The state budget is working out as planned. The first six months of 2010 will be hard for the budget but we expect that the second half of the year will be easier as the economy will start to recover. This should give us some more opportunities to make additional spending,” Djankov explained.

“Until then, however, we need new income for every new spending. Otherwise, we could generate higher and higher deficits, and end up in Greece’s situation,” he said.

Djankov said the government is able to stick to its budget plan largely thanks to the growing export – a trend which has appeared for the first time since August 2008. At the same time, Bulgaria’s import is shrinking, which, in his words, is good for the country’s balance but not good for the planned state revenue.

The Minister stated that the budget deficit accrued in the first months of 2010 was largely due to payments delayed by the previous government, and that starting in April the budget should be having surpluses.

Djankov has defended the recent decision of the government to increase the health insurance payments by 2% in order to generate BGN 296 M more in 2010 so that it can replenish the funds of the National Health Insurance Fund.

The Finance Minister promised that the ruling party GERB will be presenting a package of 30 measures to stimulate business but vowed to welcome all non-partisan proposals from the other parties in this respect.

BUSINESS

BULGARIA EX PM STANISHEV: BUDGET DEFICIT FAULT OF FINANCE MINISTRY

Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry is to be blamed for the country’s budget deficit, according to former Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev.

Stanishev, who is also the leader of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, pinned the current budget deficit on the failure of the Finance Ministry to collect all due revenues.

“Minister Dyankov’s statement that the budget deficit, which is expected to be over BGN 1 B as of the beginning of this year, is intentional is misleading: the real reason for the deficit is the inability of the Finance Ministry to collect the revenue,” stated Stanishev.

Earlier on Thursday, Minister Dyankov stated that the budget deficit accrued in the first months of 2010 was largely due to payments delayed by the previous government headed by Stanishev.

Dyankov made these statements during a hearing before Parliament to which he was summoned to answer questions about the freezing of the salaries in the public sector, the anti-crisis measures of the government, and the 2% hike of the health insurance payments that the cabinet came up with recently.

Ex PM Stanishev expressed his disappointment that Minister Dyankov’s hearing before Parliament made it clear that the government is not going to change the course of its financial, economic and social policy.

A continuation of the government’s restrictive financial policies, Stanishev warned, will hamper Bulgaria’s possibilities for economic recovery.

“The government is displacing the burden of the crisis onto the people,” the Socialist leader stated referring to the recent decision of the government to increase employees’ health insurance payments by 2% making them 10%. The decision was made in order to secure fresh funds for the National Health Insurance Fund, which was indebted to general practitioners and hospitals.

Stanishev has criticized the effect of the increase of health insurance payments on the general income and employment levels in the country.

2ND AUSTRIAN CLAIM REJECTED BY BULGARIA ANTI-MONOPOLY WATCHDOG

The complaints of the Austrian road construction consortium "Strabag" and the Greek builder “Terna” over the “Trakiya” highway public tender with Bulgaria’s Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) have been rejected.

CPC informed Thursday that the dispute regarding the selection of the contractor to build Lot 2 of the highway - the Stara Zagora – Nova Zagora section and the request to halt the public tender are unfounded.

In the beginning of February it was announced that the lower bid was submitted by the "Bulgarian Trace Group Hold", owned by businessman Nikolay Mihaylov. Subsidiaries include "PSI", "SK13 Holding", "Viastroy Engineering" and "Road Construction - Dobrich".

The group's proposed cost for the project was almost three times lower than the highest offer received, at EUR 2,2 M per kilometer, while in 2005-2007 it had built the section from Orizovo to Stara Zagora for EUR 2,4 M per km. Because of the low price submitted, the company will be asked for additional justification, said chairman of the selection committee Dimitar Margaritov.

This is the second “Strabag” and “Terna” complaint with CPC. The first one was also rejected.

SOFIA-ATHENS FLIGHTS CANCELED OVER GREECE STRIKE

All flights between Bulgaria and Greece have been canceled, the Sofia Airport announced.

The reason for the cancelations is the all-out 24-hour strike in Greece, which also includes the air transport personnel.

The inclement weather has not affected the work of the airport in Sofia, and all other flights are executed as planned.

FINANCE

BULGARIA'S GDP DOWN 5% IN 2009

Bulgaria's gross domestic product fell by 5% in 2009, ending a three-year growth pattern, the National Statistics Office in Sofia said on Thursday.

The slump has been revised upwards from the flash data that the statistics office provided a month ago, according to which the Bulgarian economy in 2009 shrank by 5,1% over 2008.

The contraction, which followed robust growth of 6,2 and 6% in 2007 and 2008, reflects the global economic crisis, the NSI said.

Despite the upward revision of the data, the last quarter of 2009 remains the weakest for the whole year with a 5,9% fall after the economy contracted by 3,5%, 4,7% and 5,4% during the first three quarters respectively.

Despite the annual decline, it was less severe than the International Monetary Fund's forecast of a 6,5%.

Bulgaria's conservative government has based its 2010 budget on a 2% fall of the gross domestic product, though it revised its expectations upwards by 0,3% in late January. The growth is expected to be due to a recovery of the Bulgarian economy in the second half of the year.

BULGARIA SAID TO FACE GREEK CRISIS REPEAT

Bulgaria's economy is threatened to nosedive into a new wave of the crisis, bringing about a Greek-like debacle, unless the government takes urgent measures, right-wing politicians and analysts have warned.

“We see the government taking chaotic steps, triggered by panic, without a clear concept for tackling the crisis. If the government sticks to this line, we are heading for a new wave of the crisis,” Martin Dimitrov, leader of the biggest right-wing party in Bulgaria UDF, said, as he presented its anti-crisis program.

The program includes drastic cuts in the budget expenses and update of the budget, halting the nuclear power plant Belene project, reduction of the social securities and enticements for the companies, which create and keep jobs, e-government, e-payment and administrative reforms.

Dimitrov strongly criticized the government approval of a 2 percentage-point rise in health insurance levies on which it says will raise BGN 300 M for the ailing health system.

"Instead of lightening the social securities burden, the government is doing exactly the opposite,” Dimitrov said, adding that his party will vote against the tax hike in parliament.

“With its promises to the protesting doctors, the government is pushing Bulgaria towards the Greek crisis scenario,” Georgi Angelov, Senior Economist at the Open Society Institute Sofia, commented. “Neither Germany, nor France will be in any rush to rescue us because we are not even in the eurozone,” he added.

Bozhidar Danev, Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) Chairman, pointed out that nearly 1500 companies have already gone bankrupt.

“It is clear that the budget is a failure. All illusions about additional revenues and excise duties have proved wrong. There is a real danger that the economic crisis in Bulgaria will turn into a financial one,” Danev said.

According to him Bulgaria will not manage to accede to the eurozone prior to 2015.

Bulgaria is believed to be among the countries most at risk from potential spillovers from Greece after banks invested in central and eastern Europe. The country is more susceptible to contagion risk from than neighboring Romania or Turkey, because Greek banks control 28 percent of the Balkan country’s market.

Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, posted the smallest budget deficit among the 27 member states last year, according to the finance ministry. It is expected to be the only EU nation to balance its budget in 2010.

Countries must be members of the eurozone waiting room ERM II for two years before they can formally join the eurozone.

Bulgaria's center-right government believes that the country could be ready for euro entry by 2013.

BULGARIA EMPLOYERS, INDUSTRIALISTS AGAINST HEALTH TAX HIKE

A confederation, bringing together employers and industrialists in Bulgaria, has voiced vehement opposition to the government's plan to raise the health tax.

“The government is likely to repeat the hike on a regular basis, which will deal a heavy blow to the levels of unemployment in Bulgaria over the next few years,” the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) said in a statement.

According to the confederation the 2 percentage-point rise in health insurance levies to 10 percent of an individual's income, effective from April, will hurt the balance between the major insurers in the National Health Insurance Bank since the bigger part of the burden will be carried by the private sector.

"In times of a deteriorating economic crisis, this may sow discontent among the people and bring about unpredictable consequences,” the statement points out.

The confederation backs an alternative solution, which would make state officials, who are currently making minimal health insurance installments, dip deeper into their pockets.

Bulgaria's government approved earlier in the week a tax hike is expected to raise BGN 300 M to support the ailing health system amidst nationwide pay-protests by doctors.

The government says it can only raise spending if it manages to collect more revenues.

HSBC REPORTS DATA THEFT ON 15,000 SWISS ACCOUNTS

HSBC Holdings Plc’s Swiss private bank said it suffered “serious data theft” affecting about 15,000 Swiss-based accounts.

The data was stolen by a former information technology employee about three years ago, the Geneva-based unit of HSBC said in a statement. French authorities, which seized the data, have told their Swiss counterparts that they won’t use the information “inappropriately,” the bank said.

“The bank does not believe that the stolen data has or will allow any third party to access any client account,” HSBC said in the statement. The accounts were all opened before October 2006, the bank said.

"We deeply regret this situation and unreservedly apologize to our clients for this threat to their privacy," Alexandre Zeller, chief executive of the Swiss unit, told reporters.

The stolen data, which involves accounts opened at HSBC in Switzerland before October 2006, represents a far wider portion of HSBC's Swiss bank clients—roughly 15%—than the bank originally disclosed when it said in December the data had been stolen. At the time, the bank said it knew of fewer than 10 names potentially affected by the theft.

The willingness of governments to pay for stolen data has been in the spotlight after Germany bought a stolen disc containing names of 1,500 people with Swiss accounts who may have evaded German taxation. The move fanned tensions in Switzerland, which sees the purchasing of the disc as another attack on its cherished banking secrecy.

Earlier in the week the Bulgaria's revenue agency chief said a stolen disk of Swiss banking data bought by Germany has revealed that Bulgarian tax evaders held about EUR 200 M in banks in Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Krasimir Stefanov arrived in the German capital Friday to consult the stolen disc containing the names of 1,500 Swiss account holders who may have defrauded their country's tax authorities.

Germany, which is said to have shelled out EUR 2.5 M for the disc, has agreed to share the data with Bulgaria, but it is still not clear whether it will have to pay for the information too.

About a dozen alleged tax fraudsters had already asked if they could voluntarily turn themselves in, according to local media reports.

BULGARIA FINANCE MINISTER SETS OUT FOR NETHERLANDS, UK

Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Simeon Djankov is heading Thursday for a working visit to the Netherlands and the UK.

Djankov is meeting Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager Thursday afternoon.

On Friday, Bulgaria’s chief financier will be in London for meetings with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Thomas Mirow and the EBRD chief economist Erik Berglof.

The schedule of the Bulgarian Finance Minister in London is also filled with meetings with experts from the credit rating agencies, Moody’s, Standard&Poor’s, and Fitch.

On Tuesday, March 9, Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry criticized Fitch Ratings for lowering Bulgaria’s ratings.

“Fitch Ratings agency has made an attempt to manipulate the public opinion by saying it will downgrade Bulgaria's rating a month after we informed them of our intention to suspend our contract with them in a bid to cut costs,” Deputy Finance Minister Ana Mihaylova said on Tuesday.

She announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov will raise the issue about the rating agencies assessments at the upcoming Ecofin meeting.

TOURISM

EASY HOTEL OPENS DOORS IN BULGARIA'S CAPITAL

The first Bulgarian hotel from the UK-based budget chain easyHotel is opening doors in Sofia, the company announced.

The hotel in downtown Sofia has 57 rooms on 9 levels. The investment is estimated at BGN 900 000. Prices start at EUR 10 per night.

The “easyHotel” chain is the first international company for budget hotels in Bulgaria. The chain is part of the “Easy Group” holding, which already operates budget flights in the country.

The hotels offer low prices for basic services such as accommodations and room cleaning while customers pay additional fees if they wish to order internet services, TV programs and others. The reservations are made entirely online with earlier reservations having lower prices, modeled after the budget airlines' policies.

DIPLOMACY

BULGARIA FOREIGN MINISTRY: MACEDONIAN CUSTODY TRIAL IS FLAWED

The Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry expresses deep concern over the way the custody trial in Macedonia of Bulgarian mother, Spaska Mitrova, was held.

The Ministry spokesperson defined the trial as non-transparent and held in the conditions of a very negative public environment, which included physical force, detention, and depriving the mother of her right to see her child.

The Bulgarian diplomats further say they do not accept the consistent refusal on the part of the Macedonian authorities to allow a representative of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje to attend the proceedings in the light of the huge public interest about the case in both countries.

The declaration points out, Bulgaria is expecting the next instance to rule in concordance with the European principles of transparency and objectivity.

The Foreign Ministry states Bulgaria will continue to follow with great attention the process and would interpret it is a sign of the progress in the Macedonian judicial reform - an important criteria on which the EU perspective of our southern neighbor strongly depends.

Earlier Thursday, the Court in the Macedonian town of Gevgeli ruled to give custody rights to the father of 3-year old-Suzanna, daughter of Bulgarian Spaska Mitrova and Serbian Voislav Savic.

The case has been postponed several times already. Mitrova has been threatened with repression if she does not leave Macedonia.

The young woman, who lives in Macedonia, holds a Bulgarian passport and perceives herself as Bulgarian, was sentenced and served time in a Macedonian prison over charges she did not allow her husband to see Suzanna. She was released on parole, but then the parental rights case began. She has been the cause of diplomatic scandal between the two countries in 2009.

In mid-February Mitrova was allowed to see her 3-year-old daughter Suzanna for the first time in the last year and a half. She says she spent 5 hours with her and had to take her almost by force from the social home where the girl is placed.

On February 23, Bulgaria’s nationalist VMRO party reported that about 10 policemen in uniform broke in Mitrova's parents house and threatened her that if even one Bulgarian reporter is present at the Wednesday trial, she would have to live through horror much exceeding everything that has happened to her so far.

MACEDONIAN COURT DEPRIVES BULGARIAN MOTHER OF PARENTAL RIGHTS

The Court in the Macedonian town of Gevgeli ruled to give custody rights to the father of 3-year old-Suzanna, daughter of Bulgarian Spaska Mitrova and Serbian Voislav Savic.

Upon entering the courtroom, Mitrova told the representatives of the Bulgarian media gathered outside that she was optimistic about the outcome. The magistrates, however, ruled, after hour-long debates, to give the parental rights to Savic, while Mitrova would have to pay child support in the amount of EUR 40 per month.

Mitrova will appeal within the 15-day deadline. She commented that there is nothing worse than a child being taken away from her mother and vowed to continue her fight. Her lawyer stated that the case is no longer a matter of domestic issues as divorce and custody rights, but of State policy.

The case has been postponed several times already. Mitrova has been threatened with repression if she does not leave Macedonia.

FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO BULGARIA PLEASED WITH JUDICIAL REFORM

The French Ambassador to Sofia, Etienne de Poncins, stated Thursday he is seeing encouraging signs the reform of the Bulgarian judicial system is going in the right direction.

De Poncins spoke in the city of Veliko Tarnovo where he was an official guest of the celebrations of the 100th Anniversary of “Alliance Francaise.”

The Ambassador pointed as evidence for his belief the measures undertaken by the new Bulgarian cabinet, the parliamentary debates about the new Penal Code, and most of all – the guilty verdicts in the high-profile “Borilski” case where the Bulgarian court admitted the evidence provided by the French police – the “best in the world,” according to de Poncins.

The French diplomat further pointed out the date for the beginning of the parallel French trial will be scheduled soon, adding what is most important for the French is the fact the case was brought to the best possible conclusion in Bulgaria.

De Poncins is known as a strong critic of the Bulgarian courts and judiciary, pointing out on numerous occasions they do not function satisfactorily and properly.

PRESS: BULGARIA TRIES TO TRICK MACEDONIA INTO FRIENDSHIP TREATY

Bulgaria is offering a tricky friendship treaty to Macedonia, according to the Macedonian paper Utrinski Vesnik.

The newspaper has commented on the recent announced by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry that it has offered Greece an all-out “friendship” and good neighborliness treaty.

According to the Utrinski Vesnik, at least four of the some thirty provisions of the draft treaty are controversial. Even though the exact text of the document has not been made public, the paper claims that Bulgaria is trying to set a trap for Macedonia as the latter is en route to joining the EU.

The editorial of the Utrinski Vesnik makes it clear that the suggestions of the Bulgarian side for a joint interpretation of history and shedding hate language are the most unnerving for Macedonia.

Another Macedonian paper, the Dnevnik, has cited the statement of Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Vesela Cherneva, she made two days ago, as saying she expected the two sides would start negotiations on the friendship treaty shortly.

Initially, the Macedonian Foreign Ministry denied even knowing about the draft treaty until Wednesday when its spokesperson said the document was being considered and analyzed seriously.

BULGARIA IN EU

BULGARIA PRESIDENT SCANDAL TURNS INTO 'FOREIGN POLICY DISASTER'

The transcript scandal involving Bulgaria President Georgi Parvanov and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, could grow in to a colossal foreign policy scandal, Blue Coalition MP Asen Agov says.

Rightist MP Agov stated Thursday that foreign diplomats have asked whether their conversations with the President have been recorded without them knowing.

“Foreign representatives in Sofia and other European capitals are asking aloud whether their meetings in the presidency have been or will be recorded and whether there has been requested authorization from the relevant state leaders, ministers, ambassadors. If no such authorization was requested, here lies the scandal,” Agov said.

He concluded; “This is a violation of international law in such formal meetings.”

On Wednesday Bulgaria’s governing GERB party have announced that they will submit a request to Parliament for the initiation of the process for the removal of Parvanov following his move to publish the transcript from a private conversation he held with Djankov.

In Bulgarian law it states that “no citizen can be recorded without his knowledge or...except in cases provided by law”.

EU BANS TRADE IN ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA

EU nations have decided to support a ban on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna until stocks recover.

The bloc has agreed to back a motion for a ban during next week's meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The US has already given its support, but Japan - where most bluefin is eaten - may opt out of CITES controls.

The EU is backing exemptions for traditional fishers, and deferring the ban for a year.

Malta was reportedly the only EU member to vote against supporting the ban proposal, which was originally lodged by Monaco last year.

Conservation groups were generally pleased, the BBC reported.

DOMESTIC

BULGARIA CONSERVATIVES SET TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT IMPEACHMENT

Bulgaria's conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party is set to support the President impeachment process launched by the ruling GERB party Wednesday over the transcript scandal.

RZS leader, Yane Yanev, announced Thursday that his party is ready to participate in consultations and provide the necessary votes to start the impeachment procedure. This comes 4 days after RZS had originally said that it saw no legal argument to initiate the removal of President Parvanov from his office.

"This is not an act directed against the head of state but instead is a political mechanism for discussion on key constitutional issues in the relationship between institutions,” Yanev said.

For the impeachment process against Parvanov to be started GERB will need the support of 160 MPs, currently it has the backing of 154 but with the RZS MPs it may reach the required number.

BULGARIA FINMIN CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY PRESIDENT RECORDING

Bulgaria Finance minister Simeon Djankov has stated that he didn’t know his scandalous conversation with President Georgi Parvanov was recorded.

After a plenary session in the Bulgarian Parliament, Djankov answered “no” to reporters questions about whether he had known his conversation with the President was recorded.

In Bulgarian law it states that “no citizen can be recorded without his knowledge or...except in cases provided by law”.

The conflict between Djankov and Parvanov flared up after the appearance of the Finance Minister in the talk show of the TV channel Nova Televizia last Monday night, where he was asked to confirm claims that the President is a “young billionaire” and has “dozens of luxury properties in the United States, Europe and Dubai.”

Djankov immediately denied saying such things, but when the host reiterated the question: “Is the President a young billionaire?” the Minister replied: “He is definitely not young.” The very next day, Parvanov made an official call for Djankov’s resignation.

In an instant reply, the Minister denied any wrongdoing, but nevertheless and on the insistence of PM Borisov, who arranged a meeting between him and the President, agreed to try to iron out the “misunderstanding.”

On Friday, following the talks between the two, Socialist President Parvanov published the transcript on his website triggering a wave of comments and criticism.

SMALL BULGARIAN OPPOSITION PARTY HIT BY NEW DEFECTION

Bulgaria's conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, which recently saw the demise of its parliamentary group and withdrew its support for the center-right government, suffered the defection of one more member.

Dimitar Chukarski is the third member to leave RZS party, citing disagreements with the policy of the leadership, which he has described as “too radical”.

“With this move I distance myself from the official policy, which leader Yane Yanev follows. From this moment onwards I am just an independent MP,” Chukarski said.

Asked whether he supports the policy of the government, he responded that there are “many decisions, which he has backed and will continue to do so.”

RZS party has been in the spotlight for the last three months following the defection of Mario Tagarinski and Dimitar Abadzhiev, which took its parliamentary group below the ten-member minimum and stripped it of its official status.

The party leader Yane Yanev was quick to blame the prime minister for the falling apart of the parliamentary group and announced he will keep his promise to give the new government a six-month “grace period”, which expired on January 27.

The opposition party staged a rally in the capital Sofia on March 10, which took place under the motto “New constitution – new state”.

Yanvev accuses Borisov of replacing the vote of the people by establishing a new illegal tree-way coalition, modeled on the previous Socialist-led government.

According to him the new behind-the-scene coalition is made up of the leaders of the ruling GERB, the nationalist Ataka and the die-hard right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria parties, which have been the staunchest supporters of the current government.

BULGARIA INTERIOR MINISTER SKIPS SEEING JUDGES TO IRON OUT CONFLICT

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetanov did not show at a meeting in which he was supposed to discuss his contradictions with the judiciary.

As he has been exchanging criticism with top-ranking magistrates over the recent weeks slamming courts for their rulings, Bulgaria’s Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) invited the Interior Minister to meet up with its members to discuss the issues between him and judiciary.

Instead of showing up at 9:30 am Thursday, however, the Minister sent a letter saying he had made other arrangements and could not make it.

The judges have made it clear that Tsvetanov could meet up with them during their next week’s meeting, on the 18th. He was explicitly invited to clarify his media statements.

“The judges say in their invitation for Tsvetanov that they would like to receive a clarification of the his Monday’s statement:

“I believe that the present Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is discredited, and the judges agree to some extent. There remains the suspicion of whether Krasio the Black and the “Octopuses” did not appoint the members of the VSS.” (The Interior Minister referred to the cases of Krasimir Georgiev (aka Krasio the Black), who is facing charges of “trading” magistrate positions, and of ex secret agent Aleksei Petrov and the circle around him, who were arrested in February in Operation Octopus.)

In addition to that the VSS has made it clear it wanted to discuss with Tsvetanov the cooperation in fighting organized crime.

BULGARIA RIGHTIST LEADER: PRESIDENT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT LESSON

Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov has to understand that he cannot violate the constitution, said Blue Coalition leader Ivan Kostov.

Kostov believes that this is the major point of the likely upcoming vote on impeaching the President of the controversial release of a tape with his conversation with Simeon Djankov last week.

“The honor and dignity of Simeon Djankov have been compromised, and the Parliament owes this debate to him,” Kostov said on Nova TV.

His second argument in favor of having an impeachment debate in the Parliament is that the President abuses his power.

“This is a constitutional vote. The President has to be told that he cannot do this any more,” said the rightist leader, who believes that Article 32 of the Constitution applies to this case. The article stipulates that nobody can be recorded without their consent.

“If the ruling majority decides that Parvanov has violated the Constitution, this will be a severe blow to the President,” he declared.

“I’ve asked Parvanov to release the tapes of his talks with Hristo Kovachki (energy oligarch), Aleksei Petrov (arrested ex secret agent). We will hardly see those tapes. Just as we won’t see the tapes of Parvanov’s talks with Vladimir Putin who he met 10-12 times over energy issues. We should be able to check if he protected our national interests,” Kostov demanded.

He slammed the Presidency over double standards saying it had turned out that Parvanov’s conversation with Djankov was formal, while his talks with the Russian leader Putin were private.

Kostov believes the Finance Minister was facing a very tough financial situation and has to be supported. “The President has the same legal rights to tape a conversation as an unemployed person from the street,” he said.

At the same time the spokesperson of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Korneliya Ninova, said on bTV that the problematic meeting between Djankov and Parvanov was not personal, and the Minister should have been aware it would be recorded.

Ninova said the ruling GERB party was assaulting the President because he had identified mistakes that Djankov allegedly made in financial policies.

She has commented also that this was not the first time the Presidency released a tape.

LEADING SOCIALIST SLAMS BULGARIAN PRESIDENT OVER FINANCE MINISTER ROW

Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov should not have released the transcript of his conversation with Finance Minister Djankov last week, an act that generated much political tension.

This was stated Thursday by Georgi Bliznashki, a professor of constitutional law and a member of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party – which Parvanov chaired before he became President.

Bliznashki made it clear that the ruling party GERB had no legal grounds to demand Parvanov’s impeachment over the release of the transcript.

However, by releasing it the President has broken “unwritten rules” about keeping talks between high level politicians confidential.

“I am a supporter of the President but the publication of the transcript was a big mistake,” Professor Bliznashki said as quoted by the national radio.

On Wednesday, the GERB party said it was starting a procedure to impeach Parvanov over the problematic release of a tape from his meeting with Djankov last week which the two held after Djankov hinted in a talk show earlier that Parvanov was a “secret billionaire”.

SOCIETY

NO BULGARIANS INJURED IN LATEST CHILE QUAKE

There is no information about Bulgarians being injured during the Thursday earthquake in Chile, the Bulgarian Consul in Santiago, Emil Samardzhiev informs.

Samardzhiev is cited by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. He further said the country's Ambassador, Valeri Yotov, had been participating in the ceremony of President-elect Sebastian Pinera taking his Oath of Office, when the powerful aftershock happened.

The 7.2 magnitude quake hit Thursday the central part of the country, including Santiago, while Pinera and hundreds of high powered Chileans and foreign diplomats gathered for the swearing in ceremony in the capital city.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey there were two quakes, the first with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and the second registered at 7.2. The epicenter is 124 km northwest of Santiago.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile last month, killing at least 500 and leaving the affected region's infrastructure in ruins.

RALLY PROTESTS AGAINST POTHOLES IN BULGARIAN CAPITAL

About a dozen protesters gathered in a rally that took place in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia over the poor street conditions.

The protesters gathered in front of the Sofia Municipality building to submit an official statement with their demands, with a couple of them dressed in costumes of traditional Bulgarian mummers, or “kukeri.”

They refused to meet up with the Deputy Mayor for Transportation, Lybomir Hristov, insisting that all negotiations will be futile prior to the municipality’s consideration of their demands.

The Municipality should start accounting for all street repairs completed thus far and submit an action plan for the future so as to avoid the current haphazard “patching up”” of potholes, stated some of the protesters’ central demands.

Sofia residents should be able to oversee and control the expenditures for street repair and the Municipality should provide every year public reports with these expenditures, specified further the main organizer of the event, Tsvetan Fikov.

Representatives of Sofia Municipality announced earlier in the day that they will propose to the protest’s organizers to directly partake in the process of overseeing street repairs.

“Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova sees a resolution to the current street problem in a major redoing with asphalts of the entire Sofia street infrastructure and will make sure to make the appropriate allocations for repairing at least some of the streets in next year’s budget,” stated a press release to the media from the Municipality.

“Holes have no colors,” replied Fikov to the question whether the protest is connected to a certain political party, referring to his alleged affiliation with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). Mr. Fikov is a former employee of BSP’s “Public Relations” department, and some of the writers in the protest’s official site dupka. net (aka. “hole” in Bulgarian) are members of the BSP-affiliated “Discussion Club for Local Politics.”

The organizers attributed the poor turnout at the event to the poor weather and to the fact that the protest was held on a working day.

A larger national rally, following on the heels of similar local initiatives held in Veliko Turnovo and Varna since the beginning of March, is announced to take place in front of the National Assembly on March 22th. At the national rally, the protesters plan to officially submit their demands to the Bulgarian government.

IRISH STREET IN BULGARIA'S CHEPELARE SET FOR OFFICIAL OPENING

Irish Ambassador to Bulgaria Geoffrey Keating is set to attend the opening of ‘Irlandia’ (Ireland) street in Bulgaria’s winter resort town of Chepelare next week.

Keating, alongside an Irish orchestra who will play with Chepelare bagpipers, is set to open the Irlandia street, which is located in the upper part of the town. According to reports 20-25 foreigners live in the neighborhood.

The local Chepelare municipality reported last year that it has not spent a dime on the overall infrastructure of street, and the entire expenditure has been borne by the "Chepelare Irish".

Local Chepelare residents Sean Boylan, Brendan Monaghan, Raymond Wilkinson and David Drum will be awarded with local honorary titles at the street opening ceremony, with the Monaghan Rotary Club also set to be recognized.

BULGARIANS STRANDED IN IONIAN SEA, NO CASUALTIES

A Bulgarian ship with a nineteen-member crew on board has been caught in a storm in the Ionian Sea and has been stranded on the beach of the Taranto Gulf, the national radio reported.

Prior to the incident, the ship, which was carrying metals, has been anchored and unloaded. No casualties have been reported.

The ship is waiting for the Italian naval forces to arrive and pull it out.

MEMBER OF BULGARIA KIDNAP GANG TIES KNOT IN JAIL

One of the alleged ringleaders of Bulgaria's notorious kidnap gang known as “The Impudent”, Prokopi Prokopiev aka Poli Kulturista (The Bodybuilder) married his girlfriend in jail Thursday.

Gabriella was first scheduled to tie the knot with Prokopiev on February 11, but their attempted wedding failed over a Prosecutor's ban.

In addition to the Bodybuilder and Gabriella, the 30-minute long ceremony was attended only by Prokopiev's defense council and two witnesses.

Gabriella declined comments for reporters except saying “she wished herself good health and a better, more normal development of things.”

The Bodybuilder is believed to be one of the ringleaders of the notorious kidnap gang that had been making the lives of wealthy Bulgarians a nightmare in the last years. Police say it was Prokopiev, who cut fingers of the victims and sent them to relatives to make them pay the ransom faster.

Prokopiev was detained on December 19 during the special police operation codenamed “The Impudent.”

ENVIRONMENT

END OF SNOW MARCH MADNESS IN BULGARIA

The weather situation in Bulgaria has started stabilizing after the unusually inclement weather has threatened to paralyze the country for the past several days.

In the south-central part of Bulgaria, the district of Haskovo, electricity has been reinstalled and all roads have been opened up, although the state of emergency has been not called off.

In the coastal regions, especially in the northeastern district of Varna, where school was temporarily interrupted, the situation has come under control.

Traffic problems remain in the northern districts of Pleven and Vidin with heavy snowfalls and strong winds continuing to obstruct the situation.

Parking lots on a major road to the northern Sofia-Ruse have been cleared to enable the placement of tire chains on trucks. A series of incidents with trucks over the past days has culminated with a truck running into a house on Wednesday.

Rescue squads have responded to a total of six emergency signals over the past night but there is no information for deadly incidents.

CULTURE

CONTROVERSIAL CZECH ARTIST CERNY: NO BAD FEELINGS ABOUT BULGARIA

Czech artist, David Cerny, who stirred a heated controversy with his Entropa exhibit, says he does not harbor any hard feelings about Bulgaria.

In an interview for Novinite.com, the sculptor, who depicted Bulgaria as a squat toilet in his Entropa piece, firmly denied being bitter about Bulgaria's reaction about the image.

In January 2009, the artist created Entropa to mark the Czech presidency of the European Union, attracting controversy both for its depictions of the various EU member states, and because it turned out to have been created by Cerny and two friends rather than, as promised, being a collaboration between artists from each Eu country. The strongest reaction come from Bulgaria with the summoning of the Czech Ambassador to Sofia to discuss the squat toilet image. After the Bulgarian Permanent Representation at the European Institutions issued an official objection to the work, displayed at the European Council building in Brussels, the Czech Presidency of the European Union covered the map of Bulgaria with a black cloth.

In the interview Cerny reiterates his explanations that the image of the toilet was just a childhood memory, no offense was intended, and if it was taken, he offers apologies. The artist further points out that the black cloth was just the official reaction and he never cared about officials, adding he knows from emails and friends, who have visited Bulgaria that many Bulgarians like his art and support him. Cerny confirms he likes Bulgaria.

After the scandal with Entropa flared up, the artist said on several occasions: "We knew the truth would come out. But before that we wanted to find out if Europe is able to laugh at itself."

Cerny also denies reports that when the nationalist Mayor of Bulgaria's second largest city - Plovdiv banned his visit there, he gave up plans to travel to Bulgaria because he was offended and explains the cancellation of the trip with being very busy at the time.

Regarding the future of Entropa and his own, the artist rejects reports the sculpture is going to be sold to a private collection soon, adding he, himself, is very busy with several exhibits around Europe and projects in the Czech republic and abroad – Poland and the US.

ARCHAEOLOGY

BULGARIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS MAKE BREAKTHROUGH IN ANCIENT THRACE TOMB

One of Bulgaria’s top Ancient Thrace sites, the Starosel Tomb, has been dated to the 4th century BC after years of research.

With German help a team of archaeologists of the Bulgarian National History Museum led by Dr. Ivan Hristov has managed to estimate the timing of the construction of the largest underground temple on the Balkan Peninsula, the Starosel Tomb, located in the Hisarya Municipality, Plovdiv District.

In the summer of 2009, the archaeological team took samples from a stake in the middle of the tomb where gifts to the Greek goddess of the hearth Hestia were laid.

The radio carbon dating analysis carried out in Heidelberg, Germany, in the laboratory of Dr. Bernd Krommer, have shown that the stake was burned in the period after 358 BC, when the temple was constructed, and the earth was heaped on top of it to form a burial mound.

The analysis of the lab research and of the events which happened at that time have given archaeologist Ivan Hristov grounds to conclude that the temple in the village of Starosel, in the so called Chetinyova Mound, and the nearby Thracian ruler’s residence under Mount Kozi Gramadi were built during the reign of the Thracian King Amatokos II (359-351 BC), of the Thracian Odrysian state (5th-3rd century BC.

The family coat of arms of King Amatokos was a doubleheaded ax, or a labrys. Symbols of a labrys were discovered on several items around Starosel, including Thracian coins.

Before Dr. Hristov’s analysis, the researchers of Ancient Thrace believed that the Starosel tomb and underground temple complex were built by King Sitalces (445-424 BC), the third ruler of the Odrysian State.

The Thracian objects in the region of Starosel were also in operation during the reign of King Teres II (351-341 BC).

The archaeologists believe that the region was the power center of Ancient Thrace in the 4th century BC. It was destroyed during the rise of the Macedonian state of Philip II in 342-341 BC.

The Bulgarian archaeologists have reconstructed the so called “Holy Road” of the Thracians leading to their underground temples in Starosel, and are determined to continue revealing its secrets.

Archaeologist Ivan Hristov is preparing a book on the Chetinyova Mound in order to tell the story of the Temple of the Immortal Thracian Kings there.

SPORTS

BALAKOV, BOBIC STAR IN 'BURGAS FOR HAITI' CHARITY MATCH

Bulgaria star Krassimir Balakov and ex German international Fredi Bobic starred in the ‘Burgas for Haiti’ charity soccer match on Wednesday.

Balakov, the current manager of Chernomorets Burgas and Bobic (current Director of Chernomorets) followed their guest appearances in the March 7 charity match against Haiti in Germany, with another aid-targeted game to help with the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

‘Stars of Balakov’ won 12:5 against ‘the Lords of Football’, with Balakov scoring 1 and Bobic shooting in a quick hat-trick. Local politicians and dignitaries took to the pitch for the match in Burgas’ Mladost sports hall in front of an enthusiastic audience.

Balakov is a former Bulgarian footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team that finished fourth in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. After Hristo Stoichkov, he is considered the greatest Bulgarian footballer of his generation.

BULGARIA AGRICULTURE MINISTER SENDS PREDECESSOR TO PROSECUTOR

Bulgaria's former Agriculture Minister, Hihat Kabil, had participated in a scheme for the draining of BGN 1,5 M, the current one, Miroslav Naydenov, informed Thursday.

Naydenov further says he would notify the Prosecutor's Office about the probe of the company “Bulgarproduct” to which the money has been given.

The Minister pointed out the company has no shareholders, dividends, and interest and is not conducting any activities.

In 2005, under a proposal of Kabil, BGN 1,5 M of the Agriculture Ministry money have been transferred to the company, and the transfer had been approved by two cabinets – of former Tsar, Simeon Saxe-Coburg and of the Socialist leader, Sergey Stanishev.

“Bulgarproduct” had been created to participate in a Russian-Bulgarian venture to build a center for the sale of Bulgarian produce near Moscow.

In June 2005, with a Saxe-Coburg decree, the State acquired BGN 1,5 M in shares in the company. The decree states the funds would be used for the development of a project to build the distribution center in the town of Podolsk.

Meanwhile, a company named “Soyuzproduct” had been registered in Moscow to become partner of “Bulgarproduct.” It provided the necessary land plot for the center, but later withdrew from the project and proposed the Bulgarian company buys out their shares, they estimate at USD 2,5 M, according to Naydenov.

During the”Stanishev” cabinet BGN 1,5 M were transferred to “Bulgarproduct.”

About BGN 200 000 are missing and BGN 80 000 have been lost in interest.

“Luckily, not all is lost, and we will do everything possible to bring back this money,” Naydenov said.

CRIME

ESTRANGED WIFE EXONERATES FATHER OF STAVIISKI CRASH VICTIM

Krasimir Gorsov had not violated the interests of his daughter Manuela, his estranged wife Diana told the magistrates Thursday.

The Sofia City Court convened to try the case against Gorsov, who is charged with draining over BGN 130 000 form his daughter's charity fund.

Manuela Gorsova was left in a coma after a fatal car crash caused by world ice-dancing champion Maxim Staviiski on August 5, 2007. She is now back at home in Veliko Tarnovo after being given special clinical care in Israel and is expected to slowly recover from her comatose state.

Gorsov and his wife Diana have been separated for years, but the mother's written statement submitted with the Veliko Tarnovo District Court, and red in Sofia Thursday, exonerates Gorsov with explanations that he is a caring father and no one can replace him. Gorsova had provided written testimony because she could not travel to Sofia over the need to constantly care for Manuela.

The mother said the two charitable accounts for their child's treatment were opened under the initiative of both parents and both had rights to manage the money, adding Gorsov traveled to Israel twice a month and always brought the entire amount needed for the hospital stay (about USD 1 000 per day) with him.

Krasimir Gorsov was sentenced by the Sofia Court to a 2,5-year suspended jail time, a fine of BGN 132 287 – the amount he spent from Manuela's charity fund, 2 years of community service and paying the Court expenses in the amount of BGN 6 000. He is appealing the verdict.

The probe against him began after August 19 2008, when the Bulgarian TV channel bTV aired an investigative report showing Gorsov gambling huge amounts of money and simultaneously feeding several slot machines with BGN 100 bills.

Gorsov has admitted misusing his daughter's accounts and has stated that he was gambling BGN 4,000-5,000 each night, sometimes loosing as much as BGN 6,000 in a matter of hours.

Gorsov stated Thursday that he will speak only after all evidence is collected. The magistrates postponed the case for April 19 when Petar Hristov, the businessman who was the moving force behind the charity donations, is summoned to appear on the witness stand.

BULGARIA COURT LOWERS EX SOCIAL MINISTER BAIL 10 TIMES

The Sofia City Court reduced significantly the bail amount for former Social Minister, Emiliya Maslarova – from BGN 50 000 to BGN 5 000.

The bail for her co-defendants – Ventsislav Draganov and Mihail Metodiev was also reduced 10 times – from BGN 100 000 to BGN 10 000, and those of Maslarova's former Deputy, Dimitar Dimitrov, and the Chief Secretary of the Social Ministry, Ivan Penev, from BGN 30 000 and BGN 20 000 to BGN 3 000 and BGN 2 000 respectively.

On February 23, Emiliya Maslarova, former Labor and Social Policy Minister and currently Socialist Member of the Parliament, was charged with abuse of power and embezzlement, four months after she voluntarily gave up her immunity from prosecution.

According to Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, a probe had shown that the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, under the leadership of Emiliya Maslarova, had slated BGN 18,8 M for the renovations of a social home in the southern city of Stara Zagora.

Only BGN 7,8 M have been used for construction and repairs, while the remaining BNG 11 M were embezzled through fake invoices.

The Prosecutor’s Office accuses Maslarova of using the money for the benefit of herself and Ventsislav Draganov.

One day later, Maslarova declared her BGN 50 000 bail is too high and is being appealed by her attorneys.

Maslarova reiterated Thursday that she is prepared to donate the wealth she allegedly has to the media that provides proof of these claims.

BULGARIA POLICE BUST CHARITY LECTURER PEDOPHILE

Bulgaria police have arrested a 27-year-old charity worker for child pornography offenses in Silistra.

The man, who worked as a volunteer in a humanitarian organization where he led lectures on the prevention of drug addiction and sexual-risk behavior, was arrested Thursday after a 2-month operation by the Unit for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP).

He allegedly produced and disseminated child pornography on the internet from his Silistra base. A police raid of his property revealed computers containing hundreds of images of underage boys - 13-16 years old.

In some of the images and videos the man posed with a knife or a gun aimed at the heads of the boys and some of the children were handcuffed, the police revealed.

INTERVIEW

CZECH ENTROPA CREATOR DAVID CERNY: I DON'T CARE ABOUT OFFICIALS

Click here to read the story:
www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=114112

VIEWS ON BG

BULGARIA TO HUNT FOR TAX DODGERS IN SWISS BANK DATABASE

Click here to read the story:
www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=114078

WORLD

VIOLENCE ERUPTS AS GREEKS PROTEST AGAINST AUSTERITY

Greek protesters opposed to the spending cuts and taxes have clashed with the police in Athens while the Greek parliament approved on Friday new measures in a bid to tackle the debt crisis.

Riot police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse rioters who chased the ceremonial guards in 19th-century kilts and tasseled garters away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the parliament, while a top trade union leader was roughed up by left-wing protesters.

It was the biggest outburst of violence since Greece's debt crisis escalated late last year. Police say they arrested 5 people, and seven officers were injured.

Public services and transport in Greece have ground to a halt as workers stage a third general strike in protest at the government's austerity measures.

Flights are grounded, and schools and hospitals closed in the 24-hour walk-out called by the two largest unions.

The government says it sympathises with public anger over tax rises and wage cuts but is refusing to back down.

It has promised to slash its budget deficit from nearly 13% of gross domestic product, more than four times the EU limit, to less than three percent by 2012.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has promised that eurozone nations, the 16 countries using the euro as their currency, will not let the Greek economy fail.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who runs Europe’s largest economy, however has so far refused to give the green light to any aid package.

7,2 QUAKE ROCKS CHILE

Yet another powerful earthquake struck Chile Thursday morning - this time a 7.2 magnitude quake in the central part of the country, including Santiago.

The quake shook the country as President-elect Sebastian Pinera and hundreds of high powered Chileans gathered for his swearing in ceremony in the capital city.

Images of the ceremony showed a somewhat concerned but mostly unfazed crowd.

The ceremony continued as planned. No news on the extent of the damage was immediately available.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey there were two quakes, the first with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and the second registered at 7.2.

Both rocked buildings in the capital, shook windows and provoked nervous smiles among dignitaries arriving for Thursday's ceremony at the congressional building in coastal Valparaiso.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile last month, killing at least 500 and leaving the affected region's infrastructure in ruins.

It was one of the strongest quakes on record globally.

EX FINANCE MINISTER AZAROV BECOMES NEW UKRAINE PM

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has secured a coalition in parliament and one of his loyalists has been named as the new prime minister.

Parliament approved the nomination of ex-Finance Minister Mykola Azarov as Prime Minister shortly after the coalition agreement was announced, the BBC reported.

Azarov said his priority was to push through a "realistic" budget for 2010.

Yanukovych had been trying to pull together a loyal coalition after winning presidential polls last month.

He has faced resistance from defeated presidential contender and outgoing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was forced out in a vote of no confidence last week.

Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said on Thursday that the coalition had been formed on the basis of an agreement signed by the Party of the Regions, the Communist Party, and his Lytvyn bloc.

The coalition includes a total of 235 deputies from the 450-member chamber, he said.

Earlier this week the parliament approved an amendment making it easier for parties to form coalitions by allowing them to recruit individual deputies rather than just parliamentary blocs.

MEXICAN TELECOM CHIEF KNOCKS BILL GATES OFF TOP OF RICH LIST

Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim has topped Forbes magazine's billionaire's list - the first time since 1994 that an American has not led the rankings.

Slim's fortune rose by USD 18.5 B last year to USD 53.5 B, the BBC reported.

That beat Microsoft founder Bill Gates (USD 53 B) into second place, with US investor Warren Buffett (USD 43 B) third.

In 2009 332 names left the list after a tough year, but the total number of billionaires on this year's list rose from 793 to 1,011, Forbes said.

A spokesman for Carlos Slim refused to confirm the Forbes estimate of the Mexican tycoon's wealth, saying they did not "waste their time" on such calculations, but he welcomed the result.

The year's biggest gainer, Brazilian mining tycoon Eike Batista, broke into the top 10 for the first time. He came in at number seven, having boosting his wealth by USD 19.5 B to USD 27 B.

UK COURT RELEASES EX BOSNIA PRESIDENT ON BAIL

Former Bosnian President Ejup Ganic, who was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport over war crimes allegations, has been given bail by the High Court.

Ganic was detained on 1 March at the request of Serbia and is accused of killing wounded Bosnian Serb soldiers in 1992 during the Balkan wars.

His lawyers say moves to make him face trial in Serbia are politically motivated and his arrest is illegal, the BBC reported.

Lord Justice Laws granted the 64-year-old bail on "stringent" conditions.

Ganic, a friend of Baroness Thatcher, was a wartime leader who briefly acted as president.

He was indicted last year by a Belgrade court, along with 18 others, over an incident in which 42 soldiers from the Yugoslav army were said to have been killed.

GREECE PARALYZED BY NEW 24-HOUR STRIKE

A new 24-hour strike organized in protest of the restrictive economic measures of the government has started off in Greece.

The strike will lead to a stopping of the railway, sea, and air transport. The employees of the Ministries, hospitals, schools, tax services, customs, and courts are also participating. Some of the workers in the private sector are part of it too, just like the postal services, the national electric company, water supply, and the media.

The organizers from the two major Greek syndicates have called a protest rally under the motto, “We won’t pay for the crisis”.


	Rates: USD: 1.43211 EUR: 1.95583		Weather: Sofia: min -2°, max 4° Varna: min 1°, max 8°		12 Mar 2010, Issue 2813 Search novinite.com