orial unit at the level of which self-government is exercised. The region is an administrative territorial unit where the state authority is decentralized for the purpose of pursuing an effective regional policy. A regional governor, appointed by the Council of Ministers, performs the government of the region.The Supreme Legislative body in the country is the National Assembly, which exercises parliamentary control over the government. The judiciary is independent but continued to struggle with structural and staffing problems. Most citizens have little confidence in their legal system.HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES IN BULGARIAMost security services are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, which controls the police, the National Security Service (civilian intelligence), internal security troops, border guards, and Special Forces. A number of persons known to be involved in repressive activities during the communist regime returned to senior-level positions in the security services in 1995. Some members of the police force committed serious human rights abuses.The post-communist economy remains heavily dependent on state enterprises. Most people are employed in the industrials and service sectors; key industries include food processing, chemical and oil processing, metallurgy, and energy. Principal exports are agricultural products, cigarettes and tobacco, chemicals, and metal products. Continued political and social resistance has retarded the transformation of the economy into a market-oriented system. Privatization of the large communist-era state enterprises has been very slow and is the main reason for Bulgarias economic stagnation. The government is now developing a mass privatization program, which (if successfully implemented) would partially address this problem. The service and consumer goods sectors in private hands continued to be the most vibrant. Although all indicators point to a reviving economy this year (2001), t...
