Bulgarian Multi-party Ex-Mayors Want Elections Cancelled

(L-R) Slavcho Atanasov, Nayden Zelenogorski, Dora Yankova, former mayors of Plovdiv, Pleven and Smolyan, respectively. Photo by Dnevnik.bg

The former mayors of the Bulgarian cities of Plovdiv, Pleven and Smolyan, who lost the run-off votes October 30 to ruling GERB party representatives, have joined forces to request a recall of the vote.

What is unusual is that the three are representatives of highly different and, to some extent, traditionally inimical Bulgarian political forces.

Second-largest Bulgarian city Plovdiv ex-mayor Slavcho Atanasov comes from the recently founded small VMRO-NIE party, the former mayor of Pleven in the north Nayden Zelenogorski is part of the rightist Blue Coalition, while Dora Yankova from Smolyan in the south is a representative of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

The three have come together Sunday to announce that they will request a cancellation of election results for their cities and accused GERB of abusing its position of power and mishandling the vote across the country.

In Plovdiv Atanasov and GERB candidate Ivan Totev had a head-to-head race, with the final outcome remaining unclear well until the wee hours after election day last Sunday.

Pleven's Zelenogorski met a similar fate, losing to GERB's Dimitar Stoykov with only 389 votes' difference, and having reported what he claims to be a string of abuses that started with problems with his own registration for the race.

"I am not one who's looking to win at all costs - I just want to help stop election manipulations and controlled voting," commented Yankova, up to now mayor of Smolyan.

All three have said vote-buying took place in their cities on a massive scale, sponsored by GERB or neglected by election authorities, which were under GERB domination.

The main opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party has already stated it will request a recall of the vote in Plovdiv and Smolyan, as well as in capital Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, and the town of Lom.

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