Bulgarian Liberal Politicians Fire Dynamos to Boycott Nuclear Referendum

Politicians from the new Bulgaria for Citizens party staged a performance producing electricity by stationary bikes to show a nonchalant stance towards the ongoing referendum on nuclear energy.

The party, founded in July by former Bulgarian EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, had stated it will boycott the vote.

Although Bulgaria for Citizens has made direct participation one of its main causes, the party sees the first national referendum in Bulgarian democratic history as having been perverted by ruling GERB party and opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party to serve their narrow party interests.

In particular, Bulgaria for Citizens has argued that GERB and BSP are using the referendum as a sounding of public opinion ahead of summer 2013 parliamentary elections.

The Socialists are supporting the building of the frozen Belene NPP, while GERB leader and Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has said he is against.

Using stationary bikes connected to dynamos, Bulgaria for Citizens politicians, inculding former Minister of Education Daniel Valchev, produced electricity in a show staged in the underpass near Sofia University in central Sofia.

"Those mini power stations have been inspired by Bulgarian writer Valeri Petrov's literary invention of a 'pedal power plant,' or PPP," joked Valchev.

According to him, the event not only exposes the referendum as a fake, but also intends to stress that there are ways of power production much safer and cleaner than nuclear power.

The question at the referendum is "Should nuclear energy be developed in the Republic of Bulgaria through the construction of a new nuclear power plant?"

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