Sofia, 13 November 1996 (RFE/RL) - Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, a prominent critic of Socialist Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, resigned today.
The official BTA news agency quotes Pirinski as saying Videnov's Cabinet does not have adequate political support. Pirinski's resignation comes just one day after the Socialist Party gave Videnov its backing in a confidence vote by a slim margin.
Pirinski's resignation was immediately accepted. Bulgarian state radio quotes Videnov as saying he would name a new foreign minister by the end of next month.
The defeat of the Socialist Party in presidential elections earlier this month widened rifts within the party and prompted calls for a new Cabinet and policy reforms.
Pirinski, also a socialist, was barred from running for president by the Constitutional Court on the grounds that he was not born as a Bulgarian citizen.
Pirinski has been cited as a potential successor to Videnov for the prime minister's job.