A president must be Bulgarian born and at least 40 years old. Among the duties of the president are to announce elections to the parliament, conclude treaties, promulgate laws and act as supreme commander of the armed forces. The president cannot initiate new laws and cannot veto illegal acts although he can bring a law back to parliament for further consideration. The council of ministers is the supreme executive body of the government and normally, though not necessarily, consists of elected members of parliament. Each oblast is ruled by a governor appointed by the council of ministers.
Local government is provided at obstini level by municipality councils each led by an elected mayor.
The country had its first free elections in 1990. The result was the overthrow of Todor Zhivkov the dictator who had held power for over 30 years. The winning party was made up of former communists who blocked most of the important reforms needed for a return to a market economy. The UDF came to power on the back of support from various powerful groups such as the church, trade unions and private sector. The MRF is a party representing the country's one million ethnic Turks.