Zhelyu Zhelev was a philosopher and politician who graduated in philosophy from Sofia University in 1958. In 1989 he helped found the Union of Democratic Forces, an alliance of opposition organisations. In 1990 he led its delegation at the Round Table negotiations on political transition. On 1 August that year the Grand National Assembly elected him chairman/president. In January 1992 he won the first direct presidential election under the new constitution. He remained president until 1997. Parliamentary appointment and direct election were different stages in the institution’s development.
History of Bulgaria
