Bulgaria Presidential Hopeful Slams Parvanov

Svetoslav Malinov, a Bulgarian MP and possible presidential candidate. Photo by BGNES

Georgi Parvanov, Bulgaria's current President, is not making good use of the mechanisms his authority provides, according to Svetoslav Malinov, one of the potential candidates to succeed him.

The presidential institution comes with great power and it is not used properly neither in the domestic politics nor in improving Bulgaria's image abroad, Malinov claimed Friday before the Bulgarian National Television.

"What is more, he is using that power against the country itself," he said.

There are several mechanism, which the President should put into use, according to Malinov, who is a runner in the rightist Blue Coalition's preliminary vote scheduled to determine its joint presidential candidate.

The President should block the appointment of Bulgarian Ambassadors who have been involved with the Communist State Security, he pointed out. Furthermore, the President should voice his opinion on key issues before the nation and the Parliament, thus participating actively in the governing process.

Malinov was endorsed Thursday by the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, a participant in the Blue Coalition. 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 for the election in the fall.

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. He is currently an MP from the Blue Coalition.

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