Peevski Signals Support for Stoyanov: Invites Him to Lead His Party's List

Delyan Peevski announced that he would invite Kalin Stoyanov, the current Caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, to lead his party's list if Stoyanov is unfairly dismissed. Peevski clarified that Stoyanov is not his "guy" but praised him as a minister who performed his duties professionally, particularly in ensuring fair elections during his tenure. Peevski made this statement to journalists in parliament, emphasizing that if Stoyanov is dismissed due to what he called "lies and fabrications" from certain groups, he would personally extend the invitation.

When asked by "Dnevnik" about which party’s list Stoyanov would be invited to lead, Peevski did not provide a clear answer. Regarding a planned meeting of the Central Operational Bureau of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) later that day, Peevski stated it would be illegitimate due to a lack of quorum. He further criticized the current leadership of the DPS, accusing them of losing their legitimacy by trying to steal the DPS brand.

Peevski reiterated that the Central Operations Bureau could not make any legitimate decisions and avoided questions about the party's participation in upcoming elections. He also accused Ahmed Dogan, the DPS's honorary chairman, of financial misconduct, specifically questioning the whereabouts of 30 million leva from the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB). Peevski directed his questions at Dogan, claiming that the latter owes an explanation.

Peevski also criticized President Rumen Radev, accusing him of undermining the Constitution and attributing the current political crisis to his actions. When asked if Stoyanov was affiliated with the DPS, Peevski suggested that Kiril Petkov, a political figure, could confirm whether Stoyanov was aligned with him, referencing a past incident where they were reportedly together.

Peevski reiterated his support for Stoyanov, emphasizing that he had done his job professionally and that the recent elections were conducted without issue. He expressed his readiness to invite Stoyanov to lead his party’s list if he is dismissed unjustly, stating that he only has a professional relationship with the minister. Peevski concluded by stressing that Stoyanov enjoys the trust of the Bulgarian police force.

In a related development, Toshko Yordanov of the "There Is Such a People" (TISP) parliamentary group reported that a Chairman's Council meeting intended to discuss expanding the "home book" for selecting an acting prime minister failed to proceed. Members of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) left upon seeing Peevski, and the "Revival" (Vazrazhdane) party did not even attend. Yordanov described the meeting as illegitimate and mentioned that there was a dispute between Kiril Petkov and Peevski. According to Yordanov, Peevski challenged Petkov about a past agreement involving Kalin Stoyanov's appointment as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.