Bulgarian Opposition Socialists Pick Vice President Runner

Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Member of the European Parliament, Ivaylo Kalfin, says he has a male favorite to run with him as his vice presidential candidate, but is yet to disclose his name. File photo

The National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is selecting Monday their candidate to run for vice president along with presidential nomination, Ivaylo Kalfin.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Member of the European Parliament, Ivaylo Kalfin was chosen through a secret vote while it is expected that BSP leader, and former Prime Minister, Sergey Stanishev, would announce one single name as a vice presidential nomination to be approved by the party's leadership.

When approached by reporters Sunday, Stanishev declined disclosing the name of his favorite. When asked if it was a man or a woman and/or someone with a law degree, he stated the only right move would be to tell the National Council first.

According to speculations, the Socialists' vice presidential candidate is someone with a law degree and with the initials M.M. – most likely former Interior Minister and BSP Member of the Parliament, Mihail Mikov, or another BSP MP, Maya Manolova. Mikov, however, has already told the Bulgarian Dnevnik daily he had not intentions to run, while BSP insiders are quoted saying the same about Manolova.

Meanwhile, Kalfin has told Dnevnik that he had a male favorite, but declined offering any details such as his name, profession, and college degree on the grounds the said individual was yet to make up his mind.

Other names, circulating in public space, are those of former Chief of the Army Headquarters and now Ambassador to Macedonia, Gen. Miho Mihov, businessman Petar Kanev, advisor to President, Georgi Parvanov, the former head of the Agency for Youth and Sports, Vesela Lecheva, BSP MPs, Korneliya Ninova, and Meglena Plugchieva, who is also a former EU Funds Minister. All have denied they are running on the party ticket.

The National Council will also adopt a platform for the October 23 presidential and local elections, an action plan and the nominations of candidates to run for mayors.

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