Contestants Set for Bulgarian Right's Preliminary Presidential Election

Domestic | April 28, 2011, Thursday // 15:43|  views

Svetoslav Malinov, a Bulgarian MP and preliminary elaction nominee within the Blue Coalition. Photo by BGNES

Svetoslav Malinov, a Bulgarian MP from the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, is to run in the preliminary elections within the rightist Blue Coalition, which will determine a common presidential candidate.

If no other nominees emerge, he will face Union of Democratic Forces candidate Rumen Hristov in the preliminary election on May 15. The election was scheduled after on Wednesday the two parties composing the Blue Coalition could not come up with a joint candidate.

On Tuesday, after a secret vote, the Union of Democratic Forces named Rumen Hristov as their candidate, but the Democrats said Wednesday they preferred their own figure.

Svetoslav Malinov, 43, is a political science graduate from York University. In 2009, he was next in line after the 17 Bulgarian MEPs that made it to the EP. He will, however, become a MEP once an altering to the Lisbon Treaty is ratified allowing 18 extra members to the European Parliament.

In 2003, the Union of Democratic Forces – the emblematic rightist and pro-Western party in Bulgaria in the 1990s, split up, and its current successors are the parties from the Blue Coalition – UDF and DSB. The coalition is a former ally and currently a rightist opposition to the Borisov Cabinet and the ruling center-right GERB party.

Together with GERB, the Blue Coalition is a member of the European People's Party.


Tags: Svetoslav Malinov, Rumen Hristov, Union of Democratic Forces, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, preliminary election

Back  

» Related Articles:

Search

Search