Ivan Slavkov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Slavkov (May 11, 1940 - May 1, 2011) was a Bulgarian
sports boss linked to the Communist-era nomenklatura
. He served as the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
(BOC) between 1982 and 2005 and was a member of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) between 1987 and 2005.
During the Communist regime in Bulgaria, Slavkov married Lyudmila Zhivkova
, daughter of Bulgaria's Communist leader Todor Zhivkov
. Despite lack of qualifications, he was appointed head of the state-controlled Bulgarian Television in 1972, an example of the regime's growing practice of corruption and nepotism.
In 1982 Slavkov left Bulgarian television and became the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
.
in Bulgaria
, Slavkov (also known as "Bateto" in Bulgarian) was accused, but subsequently acquitted of several crimes including gross embezzlement of public funds from Sofia's unsuccessful bid for the 1994 Winter Olympics
.
In 2000 Slavkov was investigated by the IOC after it was alleged he offered support to a businessman who went on to try and solicit bribes from Cape Town when they were bidding to stage the 2004 Games. According to Chris Ball, who led the Cape Town bid, the businessman had a letter signed by Slavkov in his capacity as President of the Bulgarian NOC and this man then went on to suggest that he could deliver IOC votes in return for money. Cape Town refused to pay bribes and reported the incident to the IOC. In 2000 the IOC Ethics Commission decided "after an exhaustive examination of the facts and elements, not to pursue the examination of the Slavkov affair."
In 2004, undercover reporters from BBC
's programme Panorama
secretly filmed Slavkov in a meeting during which he and an associate, Goran Takač, suggested that Slavkov is willing to vote for London's 2012 Olympic bid and solicit votes from other IOC members in exchange for bribes. The programme was broadcast on BBC
on August 4, 2004. The IOC Ethics Commission immediately recommended that Ivan Slavkov is provisionally deprived "of all the rights, prerogatives and functions deriving from his membership of the IOC" throughout their investigation and that the accreditations of Goran Takač, Gabor Komyathy, Mahmood El Farnawani and Muttaleb Ahmad are immediately withdrawn for the duration of the Olympic Games in Athens.
The IOC Ethics Commission produced a full report on the incident on October 25, 2004, in which it concluded that Mr Slavkov's actions were "contrary to the ethical principles derived from the Olympic Charter and the IOC code of ethics and of an extremely serious nature", and recommended his expulsion from IOC.
On Thursday 7 July 2005 at the IOC session in Singapore Slavkov was charged with bringing the IOC into disrepute. 82 members voted in favour of expelling him, with only 12 voting against despite Slavkov making a 20-minute plea to the committee. Slavkov was also barred from being chairman of the Bulgarian national Olympic committee, a post he held even after being suspended from the IOC.
After public outcry in Bulgaria, Slavkov was replaced as President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
by retired Bulgarian olympic high jumper Stefka Kostadinova
, and as President of the Bulgarian Football Union
by Borislav Mikhailov
, the former captain of the Bulgaria national football team
.
In 2001 he established a political party named Forward Bulgaria (modeled after Silvio Berlusconi
's Forza Italia
) which failed to clear the 4 % barrier in order to enter Parliament.
On 1 May 2011, Slavkov died in a government hospital following lung complications. He was 70.
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
sports boss linked to the Communist-era nomenklatura
Nomenklatura
The nomenklatura were a category of people within the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions in all spheres of those countries' activity: government, industry, agriculture, education, etc., whose positions were granted only with approval by the...
. He served as the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
Bulgarian Olympic Committee
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization serving as the National Olympic Committee of Bulgaria and a part of the International Olympic Committee...
(BOC) between 1982 and 2005 and was a member of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) between 1987 and 2005.
During the Communist regime in Bulgaria, Slavkov married Lyudmila Zhivkova
Lyudmila Zhivkova
Lyudmila Todorova Zhivkova was the daughter of Bulgarian Communist leader Todor Zhivkov, who reached the rank of senior Bulgarian Communist Party functionary and Politburo member. Her life remains uniquely controversial and colourful in the history of Communist Bulgaria and that of the Soviet...
, daughter of Bulgaria's Communist leader Todor Zhivkov
Todor Zhivkov
Todor Khristov Zhivkov was a communist politician and leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from March 4, 1954 until November 10, 1989....
. Despite lack of qualifications, he was appointed head of the state-controlled Bulgarian Television in 1972, an example of the regime's growing practice of corruption and nepotism.
In 1982 Slavkov left Bulgarian television and became the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
Bulgarian Olympic Committee
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization serving as the National Olympic Committee of Bulgaria and a part of the International Olympic Committee...
.
Controversy and scandals
After the collapse of CommunismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Slavkov (also known as "Bateto" in Bulgarian) was accused, but subsequently acquitted of several crimes including gross embezzlement of public funds from Sofia's unsuccessful bid for the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
.
In 2000 Slavkov was investigated by the IOC after it was alleged he offered support to a businessman who went on to try and solicit bribes from Cape Town when they were bidding to stage the 2004 Games. According to Chris Ball, who led the Cape Town bid, the businessman had a letter signed by Slavkov in his capacity as President of the Bulgarian NOC and this man then went on to suggest that he could deliver IOC votes in return for money. Cape Town refused to pay bribes and reported the incident to the IOC. In 2000 the IOC Ethics Commission decided "after an exhaustive examination of the facts and elements, not to pursue the examination of the Slavkov affair."
In 2004, undercover reporters from BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's programme Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
secretly filmed Slavkov in a meeting during which he and an associate, Goran Takač, suggested that Slavkov is willing to vote for London's 2012 Olympic bid and solicit votes from other IOC members in exchange for bribes. The programme was broadcast on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on August 4, 2004. The IOC Ethics Commission immediately recommended that Ivan Slavkov is provisionally deprived "of all the rights, prerogatives and functions deriving from his membership of the IOC" throughout their investigation and that the accreditations of Goran Takač, Gabor Komyathy, Mahmood El Farnawani and Muttaleb Ahmad are immediately withdrawn for the duration of the Olympic Games in Athens.
The IOC Ethics Commission produced a full report on the incident on October 25, 2004, in which it concluded that Mr Slavkov's actions were "contrary to the ethical principles derived from the Olympic Charter and the IOC code of ethics and of an extremely serious nature", and recommended his expulsion from IOC.
On Thursday 7 July 2005 at the IOC session in Singapore Slavkov was charged with bringing the IOC into disrepute. 82 members voted in favour of expelling him, with only 12 voting against despite Slavkov making a 20-minute plea to the committee. Slavkov was also barred from being chairman of the Bulgarian national Olympic committee, a post he held even after being suspended from the IOC.
After public outcry in Bulgaria, Slavkov was replaced as President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee
Bulgarian Olympic Committee
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization serving as the National Olympic Committee of Bulgaria and a part of the International Olympic Committee...
by retired Bulgarian olympic high jumper Stefka Kostadinova
Stefka Kostadinova
Stefka Kostadinova is a Bulgarian retired athlete and the current women's world record holder in the high jump. She is the current president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.-Career:...
, and as President of the Bulgarian Football Union
Bulgarian Football Union
The Bulgarian Football Union is a football association based in Bulgaria and a member of UEFA. It organizes a football league, Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, and fields its Bulgaria national football team in UEFA and FIFA -authorised competitions.A legal entity that it claims descent...
by Borislav Mikhailov
Borislav Mikhailov
Borislav Biserov Mihaylov is a former Bulgarian football goalkeeper and currently President of Bulgarian Football Union, member of the executive committee of UEFA....
, the former captain of the Bulgaria national football team
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
.
In 2001 he established a political party named Forward Bulgaria (modeled after Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
's Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
) which failed to clear the 4 % barrier in order to enter Parliament.
On 1 May 2011, Slavkov died in a government hospital following lung complications. He was 70.