Bulgarian Muslims Hold Emergency 'Chief Mufti' Conference

About 1 120 delegates have gathered in the capital Sofia to attend their emergency national conference. File photo

Bulgarian Muslims are holding Saturday an emergency Muslim conference to decide on the thorny issue of who is going to be their Chief Mufti.

About 1 120 delegates have gathered at the Dedeman Princess hotel in the capital Sofia to attend the forum, which has been called by Mustafa Alish Hadzhi. Hadzhi has been elected Chief Mufti, but is not registered by the Court.

The emergency conference comes on the heels of magistrate's decisions which left the Bulgarian Muslims without a leadership.

Since the spring of 2010 many of them have protested against a court ruling to restore to the position of Chief Mufti Nedim Gendzhev, a man who held the office in the past but whom the protesters accuse of various violations such as embezzlement. They have further collected 213 00 signatures for calling a national conference to end the reigning chaos.

The two sides, however, have not reached as of Saturday a consensus to accept the forum's decision as legitimate.

According to the legal advisor of the Mufti office, Hassan Imamov, the conference has a quorum way above the required 800 delegates in order to be legitimate.

Gendnzhev already told Darik radio he was not going to participate in "party meetings," and threatened to call the Supreme Muslim Council, which he chairs per the Court's rule.

The conference is attended by several diplomats, including US Ambassador, James Warlick.

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