Bulgaria's DPS Expels 2 MPs over Use of Preference Vote

Lyutvi Mestan (C), the DPS's leader, had long resisted the introduction of preferential voting before it was enforced through the 2014 Election Code. Photo by BGNES

Two lawmakers have been expelled from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS)'s group in Parliament for having availed of the preferential vote during the October 5 yearly elections.

Gyunay Hyusmen and Musa Palev made it into the legislature after having received enough support through the preference tool, which Bulgaria used last month for the first time in a general poll.

Hyusmen was also dismissed as a municipal head of the party in Isperih, an administrative unit in Bulgaria's north-west.

Tundzher Kardzhaliev, Deputy Head of the DPS's Parliament group, told reporters the two had violated a "gentleman's agreement"  among all party members not to carry out a campaign to promote their own candidacy as an option to be preferred by voters, the Bulgarian National Radio reports.

This year lawmaker candidates have had the opportunity to aspire for a higher place in their party's election ticket. However, DPS members had agreed they would neither bid for pushing their names up and thus rearrange the lists nor avail of their new positions and enter into the Parliament if elected via preference voting.

"Since the natural vote and natural motive of voters cannot be overcome, even if there is such vote, it should not be consumed," Kardzhaliev said.

He maintains both MPs should have conceded their positions to Nigyar Dzhafer and Ahmed Bashev, two prominent DPS members who failed to become lawmakers after being virtually "unseated" by preference voting for Hyusmen Palev.

The two MPs are to remain in Parliament, but as independent lawmakers.

DPS, a party dominated by ethnic Turks, is known for its solid electoral base and rigid party discipline.

It was opposed to the introduction of the preference vote which was enforced with the Election Code adopted by the previous legislature earlier in 2014.

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