urseries and other establishments provided by the
government. The protective arm of the state also extends to its citizens
overseas.

Rights have commensurate obligations defined by the constitution to
ensure the survival and strengthening of the socialist foundation.
Foremost among these are the obligation to work according to one's
abilities, the defense of the state, compulsory military service, and
tax obligations for state support. Treason and other high crimes against
the state, such as inciting war and disseminating propaganda, are
treated with severity.

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT

The Central Government

The constitution exhibits an image of legislative supremacy asserting
that power belongs to the people and is exercised through such elected
representative bodies as the National Assembly and the people's
councils. The practice, however, shows executive political hegemony
exercised by the party leadership occupying positions of governmental
responsibility, such as the head of the Council of Ministers and head of
the State Council. The power exercised by a government organ is
directly linked to the party positions held by its head and by its
members. For example, Todor Zhivkov as president of the State Council (a
position that automatically makes him president of the republic) is at
the same time first secretary of the party and a member of its
Politburo. Stanko Todorov, who is chairman of the Council of Ministers
and thereby premier of the republic, is also a member of the Politburo.
Several other members of the State Council and the Council of Ministers
are concurrently members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, or the
Central Committee. This interlocking of positions, which occurs not only
at the national level but at all levels, ensures party control of the
entire governmental system (see fig. 6).

State Council

The source of executive direction and control in the government is the
State Council, a twenty-four-man executive committee within the National
Assembly elected for an indefinite term until a new National Assembly
elects a new council. It functions as a collegial executive and
legislative body, and its president assumes the title of president of
the People's Republic of Bulgaria.

The State Council of the National Assembly replaced the former
presidium, to which the 1947 Constitution had given honorific titles but
largely ceremonial functions. Conceived during a plenum of