GOVERNANCE IN THE TRANSITION ECONOMIES: CURRENT ISSUES IN BULGARIA
By Prof. Bistra Boeva
University for National and World Economic Studies
Sofia, Bulgaria
In this latest CIPE Feature Service article, Prof. Boeva write about the importance of developing sound principles of governance in emerging markets and the progress made by local reformers and international organizations in the last decade. Various questions concerning the role of governance and its contribution to the reforms in the developing countries have been raised by policy makers, scholars, business leaders and stakeholders on both national and international levels and transition economies continue to face problems in establishing good governance mechanisms.
Problems persist in the transition of ownership and the changing role of the State in creating a new type of relationship between the state, society and business. The ongoing reforms in these economies have created a new framework for business activities, one in which respective economic, administrative, information and legal instruments have not automatically lead to a market democracy, or to the establishment of governance institutions. In reality, governance issues have to be addressed independently - as an important and a separate part of the transition process. The State and society should both be actively involved in the process of building new institutions and the mechanisms of governance The complete article is available now on CIPE web site at http://www.cipe.org/publications/fs/articles/boeva.htm.
CIPE is a non-profit affiliate of the U.S Chamber of Commerce and one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. CIPE has supported more than 700 local initiatives in over 80 developing countries, involving the private sector in policy advocacy, institutional reform, improving governance, and building understanding of market-based democratic systems. CIPE programs are also supported through the United States Agency for International Development.

A new PER report "The Bulgarian Ethnic Experience" has been published and is available on PER's Web site at http://www.per-usa.org/balkans.htm.