Elections 2013: Ex Mayor to Face Off Two Ex PMs in Sofia

In the summer last year Nayden Zelenogorski (L) quit the Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, to continue his "fight for freedom, democracy and prosperity" by joining the Bulgaria for Citizens project of ex EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva. Photo by BGNES

A former mayor from the town of Pleven, Northern Bulgaria, will face a daunting task in the upcoming elections, running in a race with the country’s last two prime ministers.

Former Mayor of Pleven, Nayden Zelenogorski (formerly from the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, UDF) will run in the 25th voting district in Sofia and in Pleven on the ticket of Bulgaria for Citizens party of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva.

In Sofia Nayden Zelenogorski will face off former Socialist Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev (2005-2009) and former center-right Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (2009-2013).

In the summer last year Zelenogorski quit the Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, to continue his "fight for freedom, democracy and prosperity" by joining the Bulgaria for Citizens project of ex EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva.

Zelenogorski has been widely seen as one of the most successful right-wing politicians in Bulgaria with three terms in office as Mayor of Pleven, but in October 2011 he lost the mayoral race to Dimitar Stoykov, nominated by the ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB).

At the beginning of September, Zelenogorski, who was one of the very few right-wing mayors to have tasted re-election, threatened to sue the country in Strasbourg over what he saw as a dirty trick by his rivals.

He announced plans to file a suit in the Human Rights court in Strasbourg after the Central Elections Commission (CEC) registered a coalition, which used and abused his name. The Commission also dismissed his appeal against the registration of the coalition "For Zelenogorski", which has nothing to do with his candidacy.

The incumbent mayor disagreed that his name was used by a coalition in which he did not and does not participate because it would mislead voters. Zelenogorski argued that he is the only Bulgarian to have this surname.

According to the Commission, however, it had no formal reason to turn down the coalition's application for registration since it was the only one with this name.

Pleven, located in northern Bulgaria, is the seventh most populous city in the country. It is the third largest city in northern Bulgaria after Varna and Ruse.

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