BULGARIA

• gradualism, manipulated elections and the forced removal of opponents characterised the takeover
• The strongest political opponent facing the comms was the Agrarian Party, led by Nikola Petkov
• Agrarian Party won over 20% of the popular vote in the October elections
• Petkov was faced with trumped-up charges and was executed 
• His party was forcibly absorbed into the Bulgarian comm movement 
• April 1947 – all other political parties had been banned