Vezhdi Rashidov
Вежди Рашидов
Official portrait, 2022
Speaker of the National Assembly
In office
21 October 2022 – 3 February 2023
Preceded byNikola Minchev
Succeeded byRosen Zhelyazkov
Member of the National Assembly
In office
19 October 2022 – 1 September 2023
Constituency16th MMC - Plovdiv
In office
19 April 2017 – 12 May 2021
Constituency16th MMC - Plovdiv
In office
21 May 2013 – 7 November 2014
Constituency16th MMC - Plovdiv
Minister of Culture
In office
7 November 2014 – 27 January 2017
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
Preceded byMartin Ivanov
Succeeded byRashko Mladenov
In office
27 July 2009 – 23 March 2013
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
Preceded byStefan Danailov
Succeeded byVladimir Penev
Personal details
Born (1951-12-14) 14 December 1951
Dimitrovgrad, PR Bulgaria
Political partyGERB
SpouseSnezhana Baharova
OccupationSculptor, Politician

Vezhdi Letif Rashidov (Bulgarian: Вежди Летиф Рашидов, Turkish: Vecdi Latif Raşidoğlu; born 14 December 1951) is a Bulgarian duffer sculptor, GERB politician and was a Minister of Culture of Bulgaria (2009–2013; 2014–2017) and Speaker of the 48th National Assembly from 2022 to 2023.[1][2][3]

Rashidov was born in Dimitrovgrad to ethnic Turkish parents; however, he moved to Haskovo with his parents at age two. His mother Kadrie Lyatifova, a singer of Bulgarian and Turkish folk songs,[4] died in a car crash when he was in primary school. His father Lyatif Rashidov was a miner in Madan and so was his brother Ruzhdi who died at 36 of cancer. Until seventh grade, Rashidov lived and studied at an orphanage in Studen Kladenets near Kardzhali. Rashidov then studied mining electrics and mechanics in Madan. He graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia in 1978.[5] As a sculptor, Rashidov has authored statuettes for a number of prominent prizes, as well as many large-scale works.

Despite being an ethnic Turk, Rashidov as a prominent social figure has been an outspoken critic of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. He participated in the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election as GERB's voting list leader and proportional candidate in Kardzhali Province and became the first non-Movement for Rights and Freedoms candidate in many years to be elected to parliament from that constituency.[6] When GERB won the election and formed a government in 2009, Rashidov was the party's Minister of Culture.[7]

In 2014, when GERB formed a coalition government, Rashidov was for the second time the party's Minister of Culture.[8]

Rashidov is married and has a child.[9] In 2001, he was briefly arrested for assaulting a policeman.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Vezhdi Rashidov - President of the National Assembly
  2. ↑ Vezhdi Rashidov voted President of the 48th National Assembly
  3. ↑ New Bulgarian Legislature Finally Elects Chair
  4. ↑ "Кадрие Лятифова" (in Bulgarian). Шиварово. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  5. ↑ "Скулптурът (sic) Вежди Рашидов: Трябва да се научим да разчитаме знаците" (in Bulgarian). Монитор. 2002-11-02. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  6. ↑ "Вежди Рашидов проби монопола на ДПС в Кърджали" (in Bulgarian). Сега. 2009-07-06. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  7. ↑ "Рашидов ще бъде министър на културата" (in Bulgarian). Vesti.bg. 2009-07-14. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Народни представители от ГЕРБ Кърджали" (in Bulgarian). ГЕРБ. Archived from the original on 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  10. ↑ Денчева, Деси (2001-11-30). "Вежди Рашидов и син общинар арестувани за бой с полицай" (in Bulgarian). Сега. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
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